


The Salvation I Desire

by Harryskiwiposes



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: (not b/w H&L), (verbal), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blood and Violence, Bottom Harry, Bottom Louis, Famous Harry, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Famous Louis, Rimming, Smut, Top Harry, Top Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-18 06:36:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harryskiwiposes/pseuds/Harryskiwiposes
Summary: “I don’t get a say in the matter?”Harry shakes his head. “No. Not in this.”“Well it’s too late. And I’m willing because I know that you’re innocent and I am going prove it. I’m also going to prove to you that you’re worth the risk, you’re worth it to me Harry. I know that you don't believe me right now, but you'll see. You'll see that you're worth it all."“Louis, please don’t…”“Don’t what? Develop feelings for you? Want to get to know you better? Tell me you don’t want that too and we’ll forget this ever happened. Tell me you don’t feel something. Tell me I’m the only one who feels something between us and I’ll never bother you ever again. Tell me Harry.”Or - International pop star Harry Styles is accused of a heinous crime. Enter Detective Louis Tomlinson, who is determined to prove Harry's innocence, and to prove they're both worthy of love along the way.





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> "Dial M for Murder" is quite possibly one of my all-time favorite movies, so it just made sense to turn it into a fic starring Louis and Harry. Because - why not?
> 
> For anyone who has ever read a fic, written a fic, commented/left kudos/bookmarked a fic, suggested a fic, tweeted about a fic - you are simply the bestest. Writing and publishing a fic is nerve-racking and a HUGE deal because you don't know how people are going to receive it. So please, please, please keep leaving kudos and commenting - authors appreciate it more than you will ever know!
> 
> This fic is dedicated to my K - I know that I say "thank you" and "I love you" a lot - but I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. Betas are a vital part of fic-writing and you are among the best. Your suggestions, comments, feedback and edits have made all the difference in the world and have made me want to be a better writer. Thank you for the countless hours you've spent on this monstrosity and thank you for keeping me on track and thank you, thank you, thank you for being one of my very best friends. You get me like no one else and I honestly don't know what I would do without you in my life. I adore you, I admire you, I love you!
> 
> Note - I really tried to make sure all trigger warnings were posted at the beginning of each chapter. I apologize if something isn't tagged or cautioned properly - please let me know asap and I will fix it.
> 
> Title comes from "It's A Fire" by Portishead. Plot is loosely based on the play "Dial M for Murder" by Frederick Knott and the movie by Alfred Hitchcock.
> 
> I own nothing except the words (and many mistakes) written below.
> 
> Please do not repost this anywhere. I am not allowing for any reposts or translations. Thank you for understanding.
> 
> Without further ado....
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> International pop star Harry Styles is accused of a heinous crime. Enter Detective Louis Tomlinson, who is determined to prove his innocence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to cheating and violence. Please read with caution.

Chapter 1 - The Meeting

 

Gray.

Everything was gray.

Everywhere he looked he saw gray.

Harry had never seen so many different shades of gray, all in one place, all at one time, in his entire 26 years of being alive. He never even knew that so many shades of gray actually existed.

If he had to guess, he would say that there were roughly six different shades of green crayons in a crayon box and probably twice as many shades of red crayons. But gray? There was only one gray crayon, Harry was adamant. Only one.

And yet, sitting in this small room, covered in varying shades of gray, Harry was slowly beginning to realize that maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe, just maybe, there were 50...no, you know what, if the circumstances were different Harry would make a “50 shades of gray” joke, this was definitely the right place, but definitely not the right time.

The walls of the room where he was seated, waiting, were painted a light gray. There weren’t any decorations - no posters, not even a calendar, not that Harry had expected any in a place like this. There was a clock hanging on the wall behind him, ticking closer towards 9am. The chairs were not so much gray as they were simple, standard, silver, extremely uncomfortable, folding chairs. The table had a wooden top but its legs were dark gray, almost on the verge of black. The floor tiles were an ash gray color, littered with scuff marks from the table and chairs being moved around constantly. Of course the one way mirror across from Harry was reflecting everything in the room and intensifying the depressing feeling that was rapidly descending upon Harry.

The man sitting next to Harry was wearing head-to-toe gray, which wasn’t helping either.

Liam Payne had been Harry’s lawyer, as well as his best friend for the past either years. They had met when Harry was a junior in high school and Liam had begun dating Harry’s older sister, Gemma. Over the years they had gotten extremely close and Harry was the best man at Gemma and Liam’s wedding three years ago. When Harry broke out in the music business, he turned to Liam to handle his contracts, knowing that Liam would have Harry’s best interests at heart. Harry trusted Liam more than anyone in the world and knew that Liam would do anything and everything that he could to help Harry out of this situation that he currently found himself in.

Back to the gray. Liam’s pants were gray, yet another shade that Harry couldn’t quite describe. Liam had taken off his jacket and had hung it on the chair behind him. He had loosened the pink striped tie that Harry was sure Gemma had picked out that morning and he had rolled up the cuff of his right sleeve. He was running his fingers through his hair, busying himself, writing notes on a legal pad and looking through the file pertaining to what had happened to Harry two nights before.

As Harry leaned his head back he noticed that even the ceiling was gray. Well, except for that one tile in the far left corner that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was pristine white and Harry theorized that the maintenance department had recently replaced it. He was sure they’d get around to painting it the light gray color to match the rest eventually - they wouldn’t, couldn’t allow any signs of hope in a room like this, a place like this.

He found himself speculating as to why it had been replaced. Several different scenarios began playing out in this head. Maybe someone had thrown something up there and the previous tile had cracked, sending pieces crashing to the floor. (That didn’t seem likely since the only things in the room were the 4 chairs and the table. Although he supposed someone could have thrown a chair). Maybe someone was crawling through the ceiling and fell through. (Again that didn’t seem likely since only one tile had been replaced and a human falling through the ceiling would require many more tiles to be replaced. Unless it was a tiny person). Or maybe it was simply stained over time due to the condensation of the air conditioning ductwork or a water damage from leaky pipes. Or maybe -

Harry’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock and then the slow opening of the interrogation room door.

“Mr. Styles? Mr. Payne?” He heard a deep voice ask.

Harry pried his eyes from the ceiling tile and came face-to-face with the most beautiful man he had ever seen. No, not beautiful. Beautiful was an understatement. This man was gorgeous, handsome, heavenly. (Harry’s mother was a writer and therefore he knew a plethora, an abundance, an overflow of synonyms for any given word). If he had to pinpoint the man’s age, Harry would say right around 30.

This man standing on the opposite side of the table couldn’t have been taller than 5’9” but that didn’t matter because what he lacked in height, he more than made up for in looks. He skin was a light caramel color which made Harry think of a deserted island and laying on the beach all day in the sun. The image immediately brightened up the depressing gray-infused room and for that alone, Harry was grateful.

Harry took in the man’s facial features. He had light brown wavy hair that was falling down across the right side of his forehead.

His nose was sloped and from what Harry could tell it looked like it had been broken at least twice. But his profile was gorgeous and Davinci himself would have loved to have painted it.

He was sporting the early stages of a 5 o’clock shadow. A little bit of stubble that made him look a little bit older, a little bit more handsome, a little bit sophisticated.

The corners of his eyes were showing the beginnings of crow’s feet and were a shade of blue that could only be found in the aforementioned box of crayons. Although if Harry were to venture a guess, he’d say somewhere in between the royal blue crayon and the ocean blue crayon. Harry was willing to bet money that the shade changed based on the man’s outfit for the day.

His wardrobe today consisted of a simple white button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket which Harry was thankful for, since it allowed him to appreciate the man’s curves as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Harry caught a glimpse of a tattoo on the man’s right foreman as he placed a yellow legal pad and a manilla folder on the table. His green and blue striped tie had been loosened and the top button of his shirt undone, showing off another tattoo that Harry couldn’t quite make out.

“Mr. Styles?” He asked again, holding his hand out for Harry to shake.

“Um...yeah...yes. Yes that’s me. I’m...I’m Harry...Harry Styles.” He finally managed to answer, shaking hands with the man.

Harry wasn’t a big believer in love at first sight, but he was definitely feeling something. Especially when their hands came into contact. Every single rom-com cliche that he had ever seen or heard or read about came alive. Harry saw fireworks, sparks, lightning. He felt butterflies in his stomach. And although he couldn’t see it, since this man was now blocking the mirror, Harry was sure his face was turning a bright shade of every single red found in that stupid, stupid crayon box. He needed to get his act in order and focus, otherwise he’d be spending the next 60 years in prison.

“My name is Louis Tomlinson and I am the lead detective on this case. Thank you for coming in,” he said as he pulled a pen out from his right pocket and a tape recorder out from his left pocket. He sat down across the table from Harry and Liam. He placed the recorder in the middle of the table and hit ‘record’ and clicked the pen open.

“Detective, I just want to -“ The gentleman sitting to Harry’s left began before being interrupted by the detective who was motioning with his hand for him to stop talking.

“Mr. Payne, I understand you are here as legal counsel to Mr. Styles. Let the record show…..”

Harry tuned Louis’ words out, concentrating on his features again. His face was beautiful, but there was something behind his eyes. Loss? Grief? Hurt? Harry couldn’t quite place it, but it definitely wasn’t a happy emotion.

“Harry?” He felt Liam nudge his arm.

“Sorry, what?” Harry felt the color of his cheeks redden for the second time since the detective entered the room.

“Detective Tomlinson wants you to go over what happened on Saturday.”

“Oh.” Harry said softly. He took a deep breath and ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair. He knew he needed to get a haircut, but his fans loved him with long hair and so he’d kept putting it off. It fell to just under his ears and so he tucked a few strands behind his ear as he sat up straight and began retelling his side of what had happened.

“I was at my public apartment, down on Greenwich and -"

“A public apartment? What does that mean?” The detective interrupted.

“Uh, yeah. I have two places in New York and two places in London. One is public, where fans camp outside of, as well as the paparazzi. But then the other place is private and was bought under a different name. It allows me to getaway and have privacy when I’m in New York. Or London. I don’t have a place in LA yet, I mainly stay in -“

He stopped talking when he realized he was rambling, which he tended to do when he was nervous. He watched as the detective was scribbling notes, not even looking up. “Go on,” he grumbled under his breath.

Harry pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. He had wanted to wear a hoodie and sweats, had wanted to be comfortable, hadn’t wanted to dress the part of a suspect being questioned by the police, but Liam had told him that he needed to dress up and look “presentable.” So he had dug into the back of his closet and had found an old long-sleeved shirt and plaid trousers. It was nothing like he normally wore - jeans and t-shirts in private, flashy Gucci suits on stage - but Liam said it was fine. Harry couldn’t wait to go home and get out of these clothes and stand in the shower for hours, scrubbing the events of the past almost 36 hours off of him, again.

Harry leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table (what would his mother say?) and continued. “Oh ok, so I was at the apartment on Greenwich because I needed to record a thank you video to the fans who voted for me and got me the ‘Best New Artist’ award at the MTV Awards. I was supposed to be on tour, so I wasn't scheduled to appear, but I knew that they needed to be thanked for voting so hard and so I wanted to make them a video. And it couldn’t be from my private place so I made the trip to the public one and -“

“Who knew you were going to be at the public apartment that night?” The detective had looked up from his notes and was looking directly at Harry. Harry felt his hands starting to sweat. He rubbed them on the plaid trousers that had been hanging in his closet for months until that morning.

“My personal assistant, my mother, my ex-husband. I think that’s it.”

“Your _ex-_ husband?” Louis flipped through his notes. “Jeffrey Fisher? I have him listed as your husband? Not ex.”

Harry sighed. “Well, _technically_ we’re still married since Jeff keeps dragging his feet about signing the papers, but he texted me Saturday morning and said he had finally signed them and wanted to deliver them to me in person. So I told him I’d be at the public apartment that afternoon to record the thank you video and that he could come by and drop them off.”

“And did he?”

“No, I never saw him that….I never saw him." Harry’s voice was soft.

“Are you ok? Would you like some tea or coffee? Water?” Louis’ voice was suddenly soft as well, for the first time since he’d entered the room.

Harry gave him a small smile. “I’m fine, thank you though.”

Louis nodded. “Ok go on, you were recording a video?”

“Oh.” Harry continued. “Umm yea, so I had recorded a video message and was in the middle of editing it in my office so I could upload it to twitter and instagram when I heard the front door open. I assumed it was Jeff, so I just kept working. I finished editing and posted it and got up to find him to get the divorce papers from him. I went into the kitchen but no one was there. I was a little surprised at first, but then just figured he had dropped the papers off and left, not wanting to see me.”

Harry stopped and looked towards Liam, who nodded, motioning for him to continue. He turned his attention back to Louis and went on.

His voice got very small. “I didn’t see any papers on the counter or table and so I called out his name. And when I didn’t get a response I thought that maybe he had gone in search of me. I was about to go down the hall to see if he was in the bedroom….”

Harry paused. He closed his eyes and his right hand instinctively went to his neck. “But then I felt a cord or a string or rope or something around my neck. I grabbed at it before it could be tightened.” He paused again.

Liam put his hand on Harry’s knee, giving him a reassuring squeeze, whispering, "you’re doing great. I know this is hard but you can do it.”

Harry’s eyes were still closed, his fingers rubbing his throat gently. “I was clawing at whatever was around my neck. I backed up and whoever was behind me got shoved into the counter. The cord or rope got loosened up a little. I was able to scratch his hands and I heard him yell out. I slammed him backwards again, this time really hard, into the counter and he let go of the cord completely.”

Harry stopped and the room was silent, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall behind him.

Louis had stopped writing and when Harry opened his eyes, the detective was staring at him. Harry hadn’t been able to make out what was behind Louis’ eyes before, but now he knew. Compassion.

They stared at each other for another few moments before Liam cleared his throat interrupting. Louis looked away first and went back to writing on the legal pad in front of him.

“After he let go of the cord, I lunged forward and grabbed a knife out of the butcher’s block that’s on the island and then I turned. He was wearing black from head-to-toe. He even had a ski mask on so I couldn’t tell who it was. He started coming towards me and I just….”

Harry let his voice trail off, hoping that Louis would be able to finish the sentence for him.

“You what? I need you to say it Mr. Styles.” No such luck.

“Call me Harry. Please.”

“Mr. Styles, please continue.” And just like that, the compassion behind Louis’ eyes was gone. Harry couldn’t help but feel conflicted. He knew that Louis had to be tough, he couldn’t imagine being a detective, especially in New York City, it had to be one of the hardest jobs on the planet. But Harry had just been through a traumatic experience. Surely the detective could understand and go easy on him. Just a little.

“He was coming towards me and I just, I….I stabbed him.” Harry dropped his head into his hands and began softly sobbing. Liam reached over and placed his hand on Harry’s back. He whispered something into Harry’s ear and he nodded, wiping his eyes and looking back at the detective.

“Could I? Could I have a glass of water or something?” Harry asked.

Louis pushed his chair back and stood up, leaving the room without saying a word. He returned a few moments later with a bottle of water and placed it in front of Harry. “Thanks.” He said softly as he opened it and took a sip.

Louis picked up his pen. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Harry replaced the lid on the water bottle and pushed it to the side. He took a deep breath and started again. “I….I stabbed him three times and then I dropped the knife and ran into the bedroom, locking the door behind me. That’s when I called 9-1-1 and the police showed up a little while later. I’m not sure how long it was since I was in the bathroom throwing up when they knocked on the door. I guess you know the rest from there?”

Louis nodded. “I just have a few more questions.” He pulled out a picture and placed it in front of Harry. “Do you recognize this man?”

Harry picked it up and nodded. “That’s Matt. Matt Armstrong. Why?”

“And who is he?”

Harry handed the picture back to Louis. “He’s….he’s the man that’s been having an affair with my husband. _Ex_ -husband. Why?” Harry asked again.

“So would you say that you have some ill feelings towards Mr. Armstrong?”

“Not really. I mean at first I was upset, but it was actually the final nail in the coffin regarding my marriage and seeing the pictures of them together was what I needed to finally file for divorce and rid myself of Jeff once and for all. Why do you keep asking about Matt?”

Louis looked directly at Harry. “Because that’s the man that you stabbed.”


	2. The Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis and his partner, Niall Horan, discuss the case against Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to cheating, violence and minor character death. Please read with caution.

Chapter 2 - The Investigation

 

“Oh no. No, no, no, no. Not again.”

Louis looked up from his paperwork to find his partner, Niall Horan, standing over him. Niall threw a bag of potato chips at Louis, which landed on the desk in front of him. “What the fuck are you talking about, Niall?”

“You have the look.”

Louis pushed the bag of chips to the side, put his pen down and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms and asked “Oh? And what look would that be?”

“Sympathy.”

Louis raised his eyebrows up at Niall. Being partners for the past four years, Louis and Niall had been through a lot together - relationships, disappointments, victories, celebrations and death.

When Louis had confided in Niall that he was gay, he had feared being shunned, had feared Niall asking for a new partner. But instead, Niall had kept eating his cheeseburger and had asked Louis to pass the ketchup.

Niall came from a long line of Irish-American police officers and over the course of their friendship Niall had lost his father and two brothers in the line of duty. Louis had been there for him every step of the way and considered him to be his very best friend. Niall knew Louis better than anyone, even better than Louis knew himself and so Niall could always tell when something was off with him.

Niall was a tall, thin man with bright blonde hair and deep-set blue eyes. He tended to dress on the causal side - today he was wearing khaki slacks and a light green button down shirt. He opened his own bag of potato chips and Louis could see the marks from where he had wiped his hands on his pants. Katie was gonna be pissed, which made Louis laugh.

Louis had been the best man at Niall and Katie’s wedding six months prior, watching as his best friend married the one woman who had been able to tame Niall’s wild ways. Since meeting Katie, Niall had begun dressing better and eating better (today’s chips not included) and treating people better. She was a miracle worker as far as Louis was concerned.

“Really Horan? Sympathy? Who, pray tell, do I have sympathy for?”

Niall leaned closer and tossed his empty chip bag into the trash. “Harry Styles.”

“Psst, get the fuck out of here. If there is _one_ person in this world that I don’t have sympathy for, it’s Harry Styles. The guy has everything - fame, fortune, fancy houses, touring around the world, sparkly suits, awards, TV shows, movies, both guys and girls fawning over him. He doesn’t need anyone’s sympathy, especially mine.”

“But he has it, doesn’t he? I mean you’re here, at…” Niall looked up at the clock on the far wall “11:30 on a Wednesday night, working on what is essentially an open and shut case.”

“I could say the same thing about you, ya know? What are you doing here so late? I’m sure Katie is home waiting for you, go home. Besides, I just finished up with Jeff Fisher a little while ago and wanted to get all the notes sorted before leaving. I’ve been going over everything - notes and pictures and the doctor’s reports and the thing is, it’s not an open and shut case. Something isn’t right. Something’s not adding up.”

Niall pulled a chair over from the other side of the desk and slid it next to Louis, ran a hand through his blonde hair and picked up a picture from the pile that’s sitting on the desk. “Styles is one beautiful bastard isn’t he?” He holds the picture up to show Louis.

Louis knows every inch of that picture, has studied every hair, every freckle, every fleck of green in his eyes. Harry Styles. Niall has it wrong. Harry’s not only beautiful, he’s heavenly.

The picture that Niall has is from last year’s Aria awards ceremony in Australia. Harry is wearing a bright purple, teal and pink speckled suit, with a white button-down shirt underneath that’s been undone, showing off a bit of tattoos on his chest. His hair was a lot shorter then, he’s been letting it grow, his brown curls just about ear length now. Then there’s the nail polish. Men polishing their nails has always done something to Louis and seeing Harry’s nailed painted black is making him feel things he hasn’t felt in a long time.

And let’s not forget the dimple. Harry is smiling bright in the picture, showing off a dimple that Louis would love to get his tongue on.

But the most beautiful feature of Harry’s? His eyes. They’re green and if Louis had to take a guess at the shade he would probably say emerald. And they sparkle. Well, at least they do in the picture. When Harry was in the interrogation room his eyes were the furthest thing from sparkling.

But yes, Harry is beautiful, gorgeous, ethereal and if the circumstances were different, Louis could picture himself falling for Harry.

“And besides, Katie’s away at her mom’s for the rest of the week, so you’re stuck with me. Tell me how it went with Fisher.” Niall says, interrupting Louis’ thoughts.

Louis’ office wasn’t fancy, one small step above a cubicle really, but it got the job done and allowed him to have his own space to work through cases.

Inside the office was a small desk, covered in papers and Louis’ work computer. There are two chairs - Louis’ and the one that Niall just slid around to the other side. There's also a filing cabinet that is in desperate need of a really good reorganizing and a floor lamp that needed a new light bulb, but Louis kept forgetting to stop by the supply closet to get one.

There was a wall of windows behind him overlooking the city and the wall directly in front of him had a whiteboard hanging on it where Louis made notes and Niall drew funny faces.

The other walls were mostly bare. A clock, a calendar and a picture of him and his mother from New Year’ Eve about a decade ago.

The only other thing in the room is a water cooler which Louis had purchased himself. Some of the other officers couldn’t understand why he had done that and one day Louis had finally had enough and simply said “because I want water without all the gossip” and had walked away.

“Jesus Christ Niall, that man is the biggest douchebag to ever walk the planet. And I’m an NYPD detective so I know douchebags.”

“What the fuck Louis?”

“I didn’t mean you, you asshole. Although you do have your moments.”

Niall rolled his eyes at Louis. “Whatever. Just tell me about what Fisher had to say.”

“He is arrogant, slimy, greasy and I don’t like him.” Niall doesn’t say anything, just lets Louis continue. “He thinks he’s god’s gift to the planet, jesus I don’t know how Styles put up with him for as long as he did. I could barely last an hour in the same room with him.”

Louis uncrossed his arms and took the legal pad from Niall, flipping through several pages until he finds what he’s looking for. “Ok, so from what I can gather - Styles meets Fisher about three years ago at some dive bar down in Louisiana where Styles is recording his album. Styles is an openly gay, smart, handsome up-and-coming pop star and he meets Fisher who’s a sleazy playboy with a string of failed relationships. He’s a down and out tennis player whose injuries have kept him from playing competitively for a while. I guess opposites attract in this case because he and Styles get together, eventually marrying sometime last year in a flashy, over-the-top wedding in Italy. Payne, the lawyer, made sure Styles got an iron-clad prenup before the ceremony, according to what he’s told me.”

Louis keeps flipping through the legal pad, picking up his pen and scribbling in the margins of the page.

Niall rolled the sleeves of his button-down shirt up, having unbuttoned the top two buttons hours ago. “Ok, I’m following you so far. Sounds like Styles and Fisher had the world at their fingertips, so what went wrong?”

Louis stopped writing and looked up. “I have no idea, to be perfectly honest. Styles finishes his album, which debuts at number one; he gets lots of articles, lots of awards and lots of attention. He makes cameos in TV shows and even has a minor part in some movie last summer. A world tour is announced and tickets for it sell out in mere minutes. He starts travelling all over the globe.”

“Jesus, is there anything this guy isn’t good at?” Niall asks.

Louis continued, “Styles takes off for his world tour, leaving Fisher home alone for weeks at a time. Still not sure why he just didn’t follow Styles around the world, being injured and out of competitions and all, but he didn’t, he stays back in New York. So while Styles is on the other side of the world, Fisher gets bored of being alone and begins looking for a plaything. The whole ‘while the cat's away the mouse will play’ deal.”

Niall had picked up a folder from Louis’ desk and had started rummaging through the papers and pictures inside. “Enter Matt Armstrong.”

“Exactly.” Louis agrees, dropping his pen onto the desk and running both hands through his hair, landing on the back of his head, linking his fingers and leaning back in his chair. “Fisher meets Armstrong and they begin having an affair. Apparently they had been going at it for months before the paps got a picture of them and the whole thing makes the front page of all the gossip rags. Styles then cancels the rest of his tour, flies home and a week later files for divorce.”

Louis paused and looked up at the ceiling, his hands still behind his head.

“Jesus christ, this sounds like a goddamn daytime soap opera.” Niall jokes, tossing the folder back onto Louis’ desk, making Louis jump and look down from the ceiling. “So where did Fisher meet Armstrong?” Niall gets up from his chair and begins pacing back and forth in front of the desk.

“Fuck, here comes the pacing.”

“Shut it Tomlinson, the pacing has helped solved many cases. Don’t bad mouth the pacing.”

“Whatever you say. Anyway, according to Fisher, he met Armstrong at some art gallery thing about seven months ago. Once Styles gets wind of the affair, he gets on the next plane and confronts Fisher. He had Payne file divorce papers, but Fisher keeps dragging his feet about signing them. Styles claims he got a text message Saturday morning from Fisher saying he had finally signed the papers. Styles tells him he’ll be at this public Greenwich place so he can drop them off. But Fisher never shows, Armstrong shows up instead.”

“And like I said before, open and shut. Armstrong attacks Styles from behind, strangling him with a cord. Styles is able to back him into the counter and Armstrong drops the cord. Styles grabs a knife and stabs Armstrong. Cut and dry self-defense. Styles gets off scot free, so what’s the problem?”

“Motive.” Louis pushes his chair away from the desk and stands up as well. He walks over the the water cooler, takes a cup and fills it up. “There is absolutely no motive for Armstrong to attack Styles” he says before guzzling the water and repeating two more times.

“Money. Or revenge. Or love. Those are always the top three motives, so let’s start with those.”

Louis throws the paper cup into the garbage next to the water cooler and walks over to the window. Having an office on the 28th floor has it ups and downs (no pun intended). Most days Louis hates it, but tonight, on a clear summer night, overlooking the city, being on the 28th floor is perfect.

Louis places his hands on the window, looking out on the city that never sleeps, the city that he swore to protect and serve. Louis had moved to New York with his mother from Ohio when he was 16. She had just gotten a divorce from her second husband and needed a change of scenery. So she had called her sister and had packed up her and Louis, moving to the Big Apple. Eventually his mother got a teaching job and they were able to get their own apartment.

New York City had been good to Louis. When he didn’t have anyone else, he had the city. New York was there when Louis found out his mother had cancer, opening its arms and comforting him. New York was there after she died, grieving alongside him and letting him know it was ok to take it one day at a time. New York was there when he hit rock bottom - almost losing his badge, his job, his way - helping to pick him up, dust him off and give him a swift kick in the ass he needed to get his act together.

New York had seen Louis at his best and at his worst, and all the times in between. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, didn’t want to live anywhere else.

“Lou? You ok? Whatcha thinking about?” Niall’s voice interrupts Louis’ thoughts.

“What does Matt Armstrong do for a living?”

Niall laughed. “That’s what you’re thinking about? You seem like you’re deep in thought, you sure you’re ok?”

Louis nodded, “I’m fine, just thinking about motive and starting with money. So what does he do? Does it say in the notes?”

Niall walked over and picked up Louis’ yellow legal pad, turning a few pages. “No fucking way! You have got to be kidding me!”

Louis turned toward Niall. “What?”

“Armstrong works for Vincent Lambert. Oh shit!”

Louis walked over to the desk and took the pad from Niall. “Is that supposed to mean something to me? Who’s Vincent Lambert?”

Niall looked up at Louis with a look of disgust on his face. “You can’t be serious. Vincent Lambert. THE Vincent Lambert. C’mon Lou, don’t do this to me.”

“Jesus fucking christ, Niall, stop being an asshole and just tell me who the fuck he is.”

“Vincent Lambert is the next Harry Styles. Ok, he was supposed to be the next Harry Styles anyway. Actually, he was gonna be bigger and better than Harry Styles. He’s the opening act for Styles on tour. Well was, before Styles cancelled the tour because of Fisher’s affair. Lambert was a model who got discovered at some karaoke bar in Dallas. Styles chose him to be the opener. Fuck, Louis, how have you not heard of Vincent Lambert?”

“Sorry, my life doesn’t revolve around pop stars.”

“C’mere.” Niall sits down at Louis’ desk and opens an internet browser on his computer. He types ‘Vincent Lambert’ into the search bar and hits enter. He goes to the images page and pulls up a picture of Vincent Lambert. Louis walks up behind Niall and looks at the screen.

“Oh.”

“Oh? That’s all you have to say? Look at him for christ’s sakes Lou. I’m not even into guys but jesus christ even I can see what a good looking man he is and appreciate how fit he is.” In the picture that Niall clicked on, Vincent Lambert is leaning against the hood of a car. He is by far one of the most attractive men Louis has ever laid eyes on, but he would never give Niall the satisfaction of being right. He’s tall, lean, muscular in all the right places and has the blackest eyes Louis has ever seen.

Niall clicks through a few more sites and lands on a picture of Lambert in a months old edition of GQ magazine. He’s shirtless, showing off an array of tattoos, posing sexually and suddenly Louis needs a fan, an air conditioner, a cold shower - all at the same time.

“So…” Louis’ voice cracks and he clears his throat. “Armstrong is sleeping with Fisher who is still technically married to Styles and is working for Lambert who is touring...well, was touring with Styles. What a small world. And what is it that Armstrong does for Lambert?”

Niall turns his attention back to the legal pad. “Looks like….some kind of personal assistant maybe? Armstrong and Lambert have been friends for years, according to these notes. Armstrong fell on hard times and reached out to Lambert, who gave him a job. Who interviewed Lambert anyway? These are horrible notes.”

“Do you really have to ask?” Louis picks up the bag of potato chips and opens them, taking one out. “Rodgers. Not only are his interviewing skills shit, but his notes are horrendous. It’s like he’s trying to sabotage this case.” Louis puts the chip in his mouth and grabs another one.

“I figured it was Rodgers. You know you’re really gonna have to interview him again, right? These are horrible questions and even worse answers. Nothing here is even relevant to the case.”

Louis finishes chewing and swallows. “There’s no way Lambert is gonna agree to come in again, I’m gonna put in a call to his lawyer. But it is what it is, to be honest. Just gonna have to interview Armstrong if he ever wakes up.”

“Wait, what do you mean _if_?”

“The doctors aren’t very optimistic. When Styles stabbed him, he nicked Armstrong’s aorta and the doctors did what they could, but he lost a lot of blood. He’s still unconscious from surgery and the last I heard, it didn’t look good.”

“Oh fuck, if he dies….” Niall’s voice trailed off.

“Styles gets charged with murder, yup.” Louis paused. “You know, I still don’t think money is the motive. Fisher isn’t getting anything from Styles in the divorce. And while Lambert could sure use the money, he just doesn’t fit into the equation. And besides, he didn’t attack Styles, Armstrong did.” Louis starts eating his chips, making his way to the chair Niall had pulled over when he first entered the room, sitting down and putting his feet up on the desk.

“You keep saying Fisher isn’t getting anything from Styles in the divorce.”

“Not a penny. Payne sent over a copy of the prenup and I tried taking a look at it but it’s mostly legal mumbo-jumbo so I sent it off to Addie and she’s gonna read over it and get back to me with the specifics.”

“So love then?” Niall asked.

“I don’t think so either. Styles and Fisher are done, making Fisher available to be with Armstrong. Lambert is dating some model.”

“Sabrina Galloway.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Sabrina Galloway. Of course, how silly of me, I should have known that Lambert is dating Sabrina Galloway. So love’s not the motive.”

“That leaves revenge?”

“Why would Armstrong want revenge on Styles? Styles filed for divorce. Armstrong and Fisher are free to be together. See what I mean, nothing fits together, something isn’t right.” He crumples up his empty chip bag and tosses it in the garbage can.

“What about search warrants?”

Louis wipes his hands on his pants - they need to be dry cleaned anyway. “Waiting on the judge to give the ok. But we’ve got phone and bank records coming in tomorrow.”

“Ok, well it sounds like there’s not much you can do until tomorrow and you’re not gonna get the answers sitting here staring at your desk all night. So let’s call it a night and start again fresh in the morning.”

“You go ahead, I’m gonna stay for a little bit longer.”

“Louis.”

“Niall.” Louis sighs. “I know what you’re gonna say, so please don’t.”

Niall stands up and pushes Louis’ chair under the desk. He makes his way to the doorway and turns around, leaning on it, crossing his arms. “Well I’m gonna say it anyway. Please don’t let this be another Jefferson.”

“Fuck off Horan, I said not to say it. Why did you have to bring that up? This is nothing like that. And how many time do I have to tell you to never mention his name again.”

Niall sighs. “You say that now. But I have known you for four years and when you fall, you fall hard. I just want you to be extremely careful, you got burnt really bad the last time. You almost lost everything Louis - your job, hell your life and I don’t want to see you go through that again. I don’t think either one of us would survive something like that happening again.”

“I know you mean well, I do, I really do and I appreciate your concern. But I can promise you that this is not going to be like the last time. I will not be falling for another suspect. Especially a suspect like Harry Styles. No way, no how.”

Niall doesn’t say anything, just stands in the doorway for a moment. He doesn’t believe Louis, not one bit. All the tell-tale signs are there, the same exact thing happened last time with Scott. “Just don’t stay too late, ok?” He says before turning around, leaving Louis alone with this thoughts and a desk full of papers and pictures.

Louis rummages through the mess that’s on his desk before throwing up his hands. “What the fuck am I missing?” he says out loud, even though he’s the only one in the room.


	3. The Run-In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis and Harry have an encounter with Harry's ex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to cheating and violence. Please read with caution.

Chapter 3 - The Run-In 

  
  
“I already told you Liam, I don’t really care, just sell it, get rid of it, hell burn the place down. I never want to go back there or see it or think about it. I don’t even care if you sell it for a dollar or give it away for free. Just unload it onto someone else.” Harry switched the phone from his right ear to his left ear, freeing up his right hand, which was now moving animatedly along with his conversation. “And another thing, if Jeff doesn’t drop off the papers by 4 o’clock TODAY I wanna drag his ass to court. Enough is enough already, I am so done with his shit. He is doing this on purpose and I’ve had it up to -”

“Venti caffe americano,” the cheery blonde barista called out from behind the counter, interrupting Harry’s conversation.

“Hold on, Liam.” Harry reached out to grab his drink, but instead of the cup, his hands met someone else’s. He looked up and saw the detective who had interrogated him holding onto the drink, with Harry’s hand on top.

“Oh.” They both said in unison.

“Detective Tomlinson.” Harry spoke first, letting go of the drink but pointing to it, Louis’ hand still gripping the cup. “I think that is my drink.”

“It’s Louis.”

“Umm what?”

Louis gave him a small smile. “My name. It’s Louis.”

“Oh. Yeah. Ok. Louis.” Harry gave him a small smile in return and took the phone away from his ear.

“Go ahead, I think that _is_ your drink. I’ll just get the next one.” Louis let go of the cup and pushed it closer to Harry.

“Oh, are you sure? If you’re in a hurry you can just have this one. I mean, I’m sure that you probably have important police stuff to do and I really don’t mind. In fact, I insist. You should take this one. Go ahead, I’m not in a hurry so I’ll just wait -”

Louis let out a small giggle and Harry stopped talking, cocking his head to the side, looking at Louis with a puzzled look on his face.

“You’re rambling again.”

Harry felt his cheeks reddened and just as he was about to respond, the blonde barista called out “venti caffe americano.”

“I guess _that_ one’s mine.” Harry and Louis laughed, each grabbing a drink and moving out of the way for the customers behind them.

Harry looked around the tiny cafe for a table to sit at, finding only one in the back corner. Turning back to Louis, he motioned over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go grab that one.” Harry paused. He didn’t want Louis to go, but didn’t know how to ask him to stay. “It was nice seeing you again, detec - Louis. It was nice seeing you again, Louis.”

“Umm, well actually, seeing as how there’s only the one table available, would you mind if we shared it? I just have some computer work to catch up on, so I wouldn’t be bothering you.”

“What? Oh, umm, no. No, I don’t mind at all.” Harry realized he still had Liam on the line. “Crap.” Harry looked at the phone in his hand and then back to Louis. “Can you….?” Harry pointed to the table and Louis nodded, walking over to secure them the last free table.

Harry watched Louis walk away and couldn’t help but admire his curves. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged his body in all the right places and a tucked-in navy blue short-sleeve polo shirt that accentuated his arms. Harry was able to get a better look at the tattoo on Louis’ right foreman. It was a bird, although Harry wasn’t sure what kind.

Harry bought the phone back up to his left ear. “Liam, I gotta go.”

“Yea, I heard, listen Harry, this is _not_ a good idea. What cafe are you at? Are you at that small one on Madison that you keep telling me about? Or the one on 8th that you always go to? I’ll come down and -”

“Liam, Liam, Liam.” Harry interrupted. “I appreciate your concern, but Louis and I are just gonna share a table - we probably won’t even talk to each other. I have my book and it looks like he has his laptop, so it’ll be fine. Look, I gotta go, I’ll call you later and we can finish talking about the listing.”

“Louis? Jesus, you’re already on a first name basis with the man. I’m telling you Harry, this is really not a good idea. You shouldn’t be talking to a detective by yourself, without representation, especially when you’re under investigation for a stabbing, for fuck’s sake Harry, I should be -” Liam had started to say, but Harry disconnected the call, shoving the phone into his back pocket before making his way over to the table and joining Louis.

Harry walks over to the table, places his drink on it and pulls out the chair, sitting down across from Louis. “I am so sorry about that.”

Louis stops typing and looks up from his computer smiling softly. “There’s no need to apologize. Is everything ok?”

Harry places his book down in front of him and nods. “Yeah, that was Liam, my lawyer, the guy that was with me last week at the police station, he’s handling the sale of the Greenwich apartment and we were kind of arguing over the price.” Harry didn’t want to tell Louis the real reason that he and Liam were arguing - him.

“Oh, so you’ve decided to sell it?”

Harry takes a sip of his drink and puts it back down on the table. “Yeah, I mean, I was never there anyway. It was basically just being used as a public address for fans and the paparazzi, so I wasn’t actually attached to it. I just want to sell it and let someone else deal with it, you know? I don’t think I could ever go back there after what…” His voice trails off slightly and he adds “after what happened” very softly.

He and Louis make eye contact and Harry has to stop himself from gasping out loud. Louis’ eyes are the darkest shade of blue he’s ever seen. But that’s not what get to him. It’s the same look that Harry saw during the interrogation. It’s there again. That look in Louis’ eyes. He isn’t sure how to describe it, but it’s a look that Harry never wants to see again. It hurts Harry that someone or something has caused Louis this much pain, this much grief, this much loss. He’s just about to say something when they both hear.

“Holy shit! You’re fucking the detective? I always knew you’d stoop low Harry, but wow, I’d never imagine you’d actually go this low.”

Harry and Louis turn their heads at the same time, looking up and seeing Jeff Fisher standing next to their table. He’s wearing an outrageously bright neon yellow button-down shirt with palm trees all over it and a pair of khaki shorts that look to be about two sizes too small. His black hair is slicked back with way too much product, giving it the greasy look that matches his personality. Louis is about to retort back, but before he can, Harry has already starting responding.

“Jeff. Not that it’s any of your business who I may or may not be sleeping with, since you and I are no longer together - thanks to the fact that you’ve been having an affair for months, but no, Detective Tomlinson and I are just talking, thank you very much.”

“Actually it is my business since you stabbed my boyfriend, the love of my life.”

Harry snickers a little. “That makes no sense whatsoever. And you do realize that he attacked me first, I was just defending myself.”

“I don’t care. You stabbed him three times; he almost died because of you. And he’s now in a coma so I hope you’re happy. And you have the nerve to show your face in public and flaunt the fact that you’re sucking the detective’s dick so that he’ll keep you out of prison.”

Harry stands up and gets in Jeff’s face, standing toe-to-toe with him. They’re both about the same height, Jeff possibly an inch taller, but Harry is more muscular.

“Actually, no - I’m not happy. Not at all. Not one bit Jeff. My entire world has been turned completely and utterly upside down. My _ex_ -husband cheated on me while I was on the other side of the planet and I had to cancel the remainder of my tour, disappointing not only thousands of my fans but also myself. I fly home to try and save my marriage, only for my _ex_ -husband to make it abundantly clear that he has no desire to stop having an affair or to save our marriage and so I am left with no other choice than to file for divorce. Only my _ex_ -husband, who doesn’t want to be married to me, doesn’t seem to want to be divorced from me either since he is dragging his feet about signing the fucking papers for entirely way too long, and for what reason? I’m still not sure. I am then attacked in my _own_ _hom_ e by the man that destroyed my marriage and when I see my _ex_ -husband for the very first time since said attack, does he ask how I am? No. Does he ask if I’m ok? No. Does he ask if I need anything? No, he fucking accuses me of screwing the lead detective assigned to the investigation and of sucking his dick to keep myself out of prison. So once again, I am not happy, Jeff. In fact, I am quite possibly the furthest thing from happy. Who knows if and when I’ll ever be happy again, but thank you for asking. Now, unless you have divorce papers to hand to me, Detective Tomlinson and I were in the middle of a conversation that you so rudely interrupted.”

Harry sits back down at the table and pulls his chair in. Jeff stands there for a moment and then reaches into the satchel bag hanging on his shoulder and pulls out a blue folder. He places it on the table and slides it over to Harry. “Tell Liam to call my lawyer after he’s looked over them.” He says softly before walking away.

Harry places his shaking hands on the folder and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. He opens his eye to find Louis looking directly at him.

“That. Was. Amazing.” Louis says.

Harry laughs. “I don’t even know where that all came from. I’m never like that. I guess everything just bubbled up inside and I kinda snapped. I’m really sorry for the things he said about you though. He assumed your sexuality first of all and second of all he shouldn’t have accused -”

Louis reaches across and places his hand on top of Harry’s. “You do not need to apologize for someone like him. If anyone should be apologizing it should be him, for putting you through everything that he’s put you through in the past several months. And if anything, I should be thanking you.”

Harry looks down at Louis’ hand. He feels it, he knows he does. He feels the butterflies in his stomach, he feels the knot forming in his throat, he feels the tingles running down his spine. But there is no way a guy like Louis Tomlinson would ever be interested in a guy like him. Louis is handsome, strong, brilliant, courageous and kind. And Harry? Harry is a hot mess and he knows it. Besides, he’s the prime suspect in a stabbing and if Matt Armstrong dies, then it becomes a murder. So Harry simply stares at Louis’ hand and revels in the warmth, revels in the comfort, revels in all that could have been.

He slowly tears his eyes away and looks across the table at Louis with a puzzled expression on his face. “Thanking _me?_ For what?”

“Yes, you. For handling Fisher in such a calm, cool and collected manner before I could beat the living shit out of him. The way that you put him in his place was phenomenal. I may have been wrong about you Harry Styles.” Louis pats Harry’s hand before he pulls his hand away and it takes everything that Harry has in him to not whine at the loss of contact.

Harry feels his face redden for the second time since he entered the tiny cafe as he watches Louis picking up his drink to take a sip. Harry watches as Louis swallows and he has to literally pinch himself from having inappropriate thoughts involving the detective sitting on the other side of the table. He clears his throat. “How so?”

Louis puts his drink down and pauses for a moment. “When I first looked into you, I didn’t like what I read. You seemed like a pretentious narcissist who had the world at his feet. A celebrity flaunting his money around by having multiple houses in big cities, flashy cars and expensive suits…..” His voice fades as he looks directly into Harry’s eyes.

“And now?” Harry asks, his voice cracking slightly, trying to hide the vulnerability.

“Now? Well now I think you’re a human, just like the rest of us. You’re actually a better human that some of us.”

Harry is speechless at Louis’ sentence, before he can gather up his thoughts enough to respond Louis asks “What’s in the folder by the way? I mean, wow, that was really rude of me to just ask like that, it’s none of my business. I am so sorry that I asked.”

Harry smiles softly. “It’s ok, I don’t mind. I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough anyway, being the lead detective and all. You’ve probably checked my phone and emails by now, so what difference does it make?” He opens the blue folder that’s been sitting in front of him during their conversation. He slowly reads through the papers, the smile on his face getting bigger and brighter. Finally, he looks up and meets Louis’ eyes.

“He signed them, he actually fucking signed them! Look!”

He hands Louis the folder and waits for Louis’ reaction. “Wow! That’s great, Harry. I’m really happy for you. Really. I mean it.”

Harry takes the folder back and looks down, his head turning a bit to the right. “Thanks” he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, look at the time. Shit, I gotta go. I am so sorry, I was supposed to be meeting my partner, Niall, down at the station. We have to go over some stuff in the lab with one of the station’s tech experts.” Louis starts powering down his computer and stands up to gather his belongings.

“Oh, well, ok. It was nice sharing the table with you.”

Louis pauses and smiles at Harry. “It really was nice.” He pushes his chair in and places a hand on the table and leans over, close to Harry’s face. “Just so you know...Jeff? He didn’t just assume my sexuality, he assumed correctly.” With that, Louis walks away and through the front doors, leaving Harry speechless with his mouth open wide.


	4. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis overhears something that could have an impact on the case against Harry.

Chapter 4 - The Discovery 

 

“Jesus Christ on a cracker, Louis. What the hell is the emergency?”

Louis heard the front door to his apartment open and knew immediately it was Niall because no one else had a key.

“I got your text message and rushed right over, thinking the worst and you’re sitting here in your living room in sweats watching the Yankees like nothing’s wrong.”

“Did you bring beer?” Louis said, ignoring Niall’s reprimand.

Niall sighed. “Four years together and it’s like you don’t even know me?” he scoffed, placing the 6-pack of beer on the coffee table in front of Louis, who pulled one out, twisted the top off and took a long swig.

“Sit down because you are never gonna believe this.”

Niall grabbed a beer and sat down in the oversized chair that he had helped Louis lug up to his apartment on the fifth floor three years ago. The apartment had been Niall’s long before Louis moved in. Niall had offered it to Louis first when he and Katie decided to move in together and chose her apartment since it was bigger and closer to the station. Louis had been living with four other guys in a small, shoe-box sized place on the other side of town and literally jumped at the chance for a place to have all to himself. Niall had even left him some furniture, like the bedroom set and the living room set, because Katie already had those and because Louis’ would now be paying rent alone and Niall figured he’d save his best friend some money on furnishing the apartment. When Louis moved in, all he had were two suitcases and the oversized chair that Niall was now sitting in, so to say he was grateful for the free furniture was an understatement.

It wasn’t a flashy apartment by any means. Simple, Louis had often described it as. But it was his and his alone and that made it perfect, no matter what size or style it was.

The floor plan was open with a living room that led to a small dining area that Louis had furnished with a tall table and two matching high-backed chairs.

The kitchen was miniscule, which didn’t bother Louis since he wasn’t going to be cooking any gourmet meals there anyway. Frozen, microwaveable meals were about the extent of his cooking skills, when he was home, which wasn’t very often. He was usually at the station, eating fast food that the rest of the guys had ordered in or selecting whatever the vending machine down the hall had to offer that day.

Louis’ bedroom, however, was his favorite. One of the walls was completely exposed brick and on the opposite wall he had several paintings that he had collected over the years from various street artists. The room was just big enough for a queen-size bed, dresser and nightstand, but the windows on the far side gave the illusion that it was actually bigger. Louis loved laying in bed at night, staring at the stars and wishing he was among them.

Louis is snapped out of his thoughts by Niall announcing, “Ok I’m sitting.”

Louis took his feet off the coffee table where they had been resting and sat up. He grabbed the remote and hit ‘mute,’ silencing the announcers who were giving a play-by-play of the Yankees/Red Sox game. He sat up and turned towards Niall.

“So, I was at the hospital today, checking on Matt Armstrong. Still no change by the way. I was talking to the nurses about his condition and they happened to mention the nice, handsome man who’s been visiting Armstrong every single day. Me, thinking it was Fisher, showed them his picture and asked if that was the man. Nancy, the older nurse who reminds me a lot of your Grandma Jean - feisty and doesn’t give any fucks, took one look at the picture and said ‘NO! He looks slimy, the guy who comes to visit is easy on the eyes.’” Louis pauses, taking another swig from his beer.

“Then I pulled up another picture and showed it to the nurses and both of them agreed that that was the guy who visits Armstrong every day. The guy in the picture? It was Vincent Lambert.”

Niall shrugged. “Not seeing the big deal, Armstrong and Lambert have been friends for years. It’d make sense for him to visit. Granted, everyday seems a little bit excessive, but Armstrong is in a coma with no family or friends on this side of the country, so again, it makes sense.”

“I thought so too, but then my new friend Nancy told me that Lambert was in Armstrong’s room at that very moment, so I asked which was his and she pointed to 325. But told me that I couldn’t go in, since I wasn’t on the approved visitor list. I told her I didn’t need to go in, just wanted to take a peek and maybe catch Lambert coming out of the room. I thanked them both and headed down the hall. I got to Armstrong’s room to have a look inside.” Louis stopped.

“What the fuck Lou? You can’t just stop like that. You were always shit at telling stories, always stopping right when it starts getting good.”

Louis laughed, “Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention because here’s where it gets really interesting. The door was opened when I got there so I peeked in and saw Lambert crying, gently stroking Armstrong’s hand and fixing the fringe from off of his forehead. At first, I was puzzled because I didn’t think Armstrong and Lambert were _that_ close, but then I heard Lambert talking. He was telling Armstrong that he loved him and that he needed him to wake up and come back to him and that they would be truly be together. No more models, no more hiding, no more lying. He would come out to the world and they could finally be together, as a couple.”

Niall choked on his beer and leaned forward, placing the bottle on the coffee table. “Excuse me? What?”

“My thoughts exactly. Seems as though Armstrong and Lambert are closer than we thought. Closer than anyone thought really.”

Niall coughed again, clearing his throat. “But Lambert is dating Sabrina Galloway.”

Louis shrugged. “I have a feeling she’s being used as a cover based on Lambert’s demeanor with Armstrong. Didn’t that happen to someone else? Some other pop singer? That happens in Hollywood, doesn’t it? Closeted gay guy is afraid to come out or can’t come out because the big wigs fear he’ll alienate his young female fans. So they have him publicly date a model or wannabe model but in reality he’s in a same-sex relationship that he can’t admit to.”

“Holy shit! Look at that! Someone’s been googling and doing their research.”

Louis put his middle finger up. “That’s what the internet is for, isn’t it? Anyway, my next question is - if Lambert and Armstrong are truly together, then what the fuck is he doing in Fisher’s bed?”

Niall picks up his beer bottle and takes a long drink, downing it and slamming the glass back onto the table. He stands up and starts pacing back and forth in front of the tv.

“Fuck, here we go with the pacing again.”

This time Niall is the one to put up his middle finger then begins talking. “Ok, so Armstrong and Lambert are together and Styles and Fisher are together. But Lambert and Styles are on the other side of the world, touring together, spending lots of time together, possibly getting cozy together. Maybe Armstrong and Fisher meet at that art gallery thing and start commiserating with each other?”

“Jesus Christ Niall! That actually makes sense. So maybe Fisher and Armstrong discover that they have a lot in common, their partners leaving them behind to travel around the world. They begin chatting back and forth, getting closer and closer and one thing leads to another. You know something? I will never bad mouth the pacing again. Keep going.”

Niall starts laughing. “I keep telling you the pacing works, you should try it. It does wonders for the thinking process. And bonus, it drives you crazy.” Niall sticks his tongue out at Louis.

Louis puts his feet back up on the coffee table, crossing them at the ankles. “Nah, I’ll leave the pacing to you. Just move a little to the left since you’re blocking the TV and the Yankees just scored two runs. There’s one thing that’s still bothering me about this whole situation - we still don’t have a motive for Armstrong attacking Styles. I feel like it’s there, just out of our reach. We’re missing a piece of the puzzle and of course it’s the most important piece.”

“You know what’s still bothering me about this whole situation?” Niall stops, directly in front of the television, making sure he has Louis’ attention, placing his hands on his hips and looking right at Louis. “You and Styles.”

“Excuse me? There is no ‘me and Styles.’ I already told you this isn’t gonna be like before.” Louis insists.

“You’re right, it’s not.” Niall pauses. “Because this? This is worse. At least with Jefferson it was mostly physical attraction. But with Styles it’s emotional, I can see it already. You’re not eating, you’re not sleeping. You’re the first person at the station in the morning and the last person to leave at night. You’re on edge and snapping at everyone who tries to offer the littlest bit of help. And there’s the way that you talk about Styles. You’re not treating him like he’s a suspect, you’re treating him like he’s a friend. You are diving head first into this case.”

“I do that to every case. That’s what a detective does.” Louis stands up, walking into the kitchen, trying to avoid a confrontation with his best friend. But Niall is hot on his heels.

“You can’t hide from me Louis. We need to talk about this. We are gonna talk about this. You’re falling for Styles, aren’t you?”

Louis turns around, red faced. “What the fuck Niall? I’ve spoken to the guy exactly three times for fucks’s sakes.”

“Three? Did he come down to the station again?” Niall asked.

“What? No.” Louis sighed. “We..we shared a table. And then I had a conference call with him and his lawyer to go over a few things.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell are you talking about? You shared a table? What table? Where?”

“Last week. I thought I told you about that. Isn’t that you’re talking about, with this whole ‘falling for Styles’ nonsense?”

“No, I’m talking about the way that this case has taken over your every waking moment and the way that you are determined to find a fucking motive and clear Styles’ name once and for all. You are living and breathing this case and it’s not healthy Lou. I’m getting worried that you’re spiralling again. And what fucking table are you talking about Louis?” Niall blocks the doorway leading to the living room, crossing his arms and demanding an answer from Louis.

Louis sighs, resigned to the fact that he’s going to have to have this discussion. “So last Thursday, we both happened to be at that little cafe that just opened up down on Madison. We reached for the same drink, thinking it was ours, then since there was only one table left and we both needed it, we decided to share. Fisher saw us and accused us of sleeping together and Styles got into his face and….my god, you should have seen him. It was amazing, the way that he put Fisher in his place and actually got the signed divorce papers from him. We talked a little bit and then I had to rush out because I was late meeting you and Kimberly in the forensics lab. See? Nothing?”

“Holy fuck. Look at your face. The fond is written all over it.”

“What?”

“You’ve already fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“You’re being absolutely ridiculous, you know that right? I misjudged him. That’s it. I thought he was a pompous pop star, but he’s not. He was calm, cool and collected when dealing with Fisher and then we talked a little bit about the fact that he’s selling his place on Greenwich. And if it’s a true case of self defense, then I’d like to clear his name. I don’t want to send an innocent man to jail, I don’t want that on my conscience. That’s all. Seriously Niall, you are blowing this completely out of proportion.”

“Jesus christ, you can’t even say the words can you? You can’t just say ‘I haven’t fallen for Harry Styles.’ Just say it Louis. Just fucking say it.”

Before Louis can say anything, the doorbell rings. They both look to the front door and then at each other. “Did you order take out?” Louis asks.

“No, I was about to ask you the same thing.”

Louis walks over to the door and looks through the peephole. “It’s Harry.” He turns back to Niall. “Styles.” He adds on.

Niall cocks his head to the side, giving Louis a disappointed look.

“What? I didn’t fucking invite him over. I don’t even know how he got my address.” The doorbell rings again and Louis opens it to find Harry standing on his doorstep, an absolute mess. His hair is tangled, curls sticking up in every direction. His eyes are bloodshot and it’s obvious that he’s been crying. His outfit is completely mismatched and it looks like he threw on whatever he could get his hands on first. His sneakers are on, but neither is tied, the laces hanging down, touching the floor.

“Harry?”

“I’m….I’m really….I’m really sorry Louis. I just….I didn’t know where else to go.” He sobs, wiping the tears that fell onto his cheeks.

“Are you hurt?”

Harry shook his head. “I just…” He couldn’t finish, letting his voice trail off.

“Come in, come in.” Louis moves out of the way to let Harry enter, guiding him with a hand on the small of his back. Niall takes one look at Harry and then looks to Louis, who just shrugs behind Harry’s back.

Niall walks past Harry, who didn’t even seem to notice he was there. “I’m gonna leave, but I expect a phone call explaining whatever the hell this is. And don’t think I’ve forgotten our conversation from before.” He closes the door, leaving Louis and Harry alone, in silence, Louis’ hand still on Harry’s back.

“Umm, do you want? Would you like to sit down?” Louis asks softly.

Harry turns and throws his arms around Louis, crying into his neck. “I just…I just didn’t want to be alone.” Startled, Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s waist and just holds him, rubbing his back gently, letting him cry - the beer and baseball game long forgotten.

“Shhh, it’s ok. I’m here baby, I’m here. I’m right here.” Neither one of them noticing the term of endearment slipping through Louis’ lips. Neither of them noticing how easily it slipped out.

After several minutes of them just holding each other, Harry pulls away slowly. “I am so sorry, I should….I shouldn’t have come….I…just....I didn’t want to be alone. But I’ll...I should….I’ll...I’m gonna go.” Harry doesn’t seem to be able to form a coherent thought.

“First of all, stop apologizing. Second of all, look at you. You’re upset and you’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong and you’ve calmed down. Look at you - you’re in no position to be out alone in the city. So tell me what happened.”

“Someone….someone leaked my home address. The private one. Someone gave it to the press, to the paps, to the fans. It’s all over twitter. Oh god, I bet it was Jeff. He’s probably still pissed about the cafe and the way that I talked to him. He probably called the press and gave it out. I was at home when I heard chaos outside and looked out the front window. My lawn was covered with people and photographers and it was horrible. Everyone was throwing stuff at the windows and then they all started yelling. Some were telling me that they loved me and supported me, some were telling me to turn myself in and that I should be ashamed to show my face in public ever again and then others….”

Harry paused, trying to regain his composure. “Others were telling me that I should kill myself. Who says stuff like that Louis? I mean that’s disgusting, I would never say something like that to anyone. I couldn’t leave through the front, so I quickly left through the back door before the entire house was surrounded. I didn’t know where to go, I didn’t want to lead them to Liam and Gemma’s, they have a baby.”

Harry stops again, tears welling up in his eyes. “She’s only 8 months old and is the most precious thing in the world. I couldn’t bring all of this to them, couldn’t get them involved in my mess, so I came here and I know that I shouldn’t have.” He pauses, looking Louis directly in the eyes. “I know that this is the last thing you need or that I should be doing, I know that I shouldn’t be here. I know that, but I just couldn’t….I just...I just needed you.”

Louis loses every single shred of restraint he had been holding in and grabs Harry’s face with his hands, bringing him close, crashing their lips together. Harry is compliant and willing and opens his mouth at the persistence of Louis’ tongue. Louis feels Harry’s hands grasp at his hips and that’s the sign that Louis needs to deepen their kiss even further.

He moves his hands from Harry’s face and runs his fingers through Harry’s hair, gripping the back of his neck and holding him in place. Harry moans at the feeling of Louis pulling his hair and moves his hands from Louis’ hips to his ass.

Louis begins walking Harry backwards towards the bedroom, breaking their kiss temporarily so that he could maneuver them around the coffee table in the living room. He pauses outside his bedroom door, looking at Harry. His hair is a mess, his eyes are dark and his lips are red and swollen, but he is simply the most beautiful man that Louis has ever laid eyes on. Harry looks back at him with a look and a nod that answers every unasked question between them.

Louis brings his lips to Harry’s again and as they cross over the threshold of the bedroom, Louis kicks and closes the door with a slam that echoes through the tiny apartment.


	5. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confession is made.

Chapter 5 - The Confession 

 

As soon as the door slams, Harry pushes Louis against it, Louis’ back hitting the door, parting his legs slightly, letting Harry slide in closer, their chests flush with each other, their dicks brushing together.

Harry grabs at the hem of Louis’ shirt, inching it closer up. He breaks their kiss and tugs it off of Louis, throwing it somewhere in the darkened room. Louis does the same to Harry’s and as soon as it’s off, their lips are on one another’s again. Their tongues intertwine and Louis can feel Harry’s hand begin to caress his own hands, moving up his arms and then across the tattoo on his chest. His hands then start to make their way down towards Louis’ stomach, reaching the waistband of his sweatpants. Harry toes his shoes off and kicks them aside.

Louis grabs onto Harry’s arms as he feels fingertips running along the top of the waistband, slowly and gently at first and then without warning, he slides his right hand inside, grabbing Louis’ dick.

“Oh fuck!” Louis calls out, pulling away from Harry.

Their eyes meet as Harry’s left hand slides inside Louis’ sweatpants and grips his waist. Harry whispers, his voice deep. “Tell me what you want.”

“Everything. Harry. I want everything. With you. I want everything with you.” Louis pants as Harry grabs the shaft of his dick.

“I’m here Louis, I promise I’m not going anywhere.” Harry responds, brushing his lips against Louis’ ear. “Tonight, tell me what you want tonight.” He starts kissing Louis’ ear, then down his jawline, then back up to his ear again. “Tell me baby, tell me what you want.” Harry’s hand is still in his pants, his fingertips running up and down the length of Louis’ dick and it takes everything Louis has not to come in his pants immediately.

“I want….” Louis stops as Harry begins stroking him slowly. “Oh god.” Louis throws his head back against the door. “I’m gonna come if you don’t stop. Oh fuck that feels so good.”

“Look at me, Louis.” He brings his head down to meet Harry’s eyes. “Tell me what you want.”

“Fuck me. I want you to fuck me, Harry.”

“Baby.” Harry says, before diving into Louis’ mouth. He brings both hands around and grabs Louis’ ass, making him moan into Harry’s mouth.

Harry backs away from the door, taking Louis with him as he turns them, walking towards Louis’ bed. The back of Louis’ legs hit the bed and he stops. Harry brings his hands to the waistband of Louis’ sweats and breaking away from their kiss, pulls them down, pooling around Louis’ ankles. Louis steps out of them, kicking them to the side, leaving him completely naked and vulnerable. His dick is hard and precome is leaking from his tip.

Harry immediately kneels in front of Louis and licks the precome. “Fuck!” Louis yells out. Harry begins taking Louis deeper into his mouth, inch by inch. Louis reaches down and runs his fingers through Harry’s curls. “Right there. Don’t stop” he moans and throws his head back.

Harry begins picking up the pace and brings his left hand up to Louis’ balls, cupping them and massaging them. “Oh my god, Harry, I am gonna come.” Harry can feel Louis’ grip on his hair tightening and knows that he’s close when he starts thrusting wildly into Harry’s mouth.

Harry keeps up his pace and looks up at Louis, who is looking down at him. He nods and Louis begins fucking his mouth slowly, running his fingers through Harry’s hair again and holding his head in place. He hears a slew of curses leave Louis’ mouth and can feel him coming down his throat. “Oh fuck, oh god. Wow.” Louis says as Harry pulls off, licking the shaft and tip before standing up and looking at Louis who now has the prettiest pink flush to his cheeks and the darkest eyes. “This mouth, Harry my god. This mouth.” He says as he crushes his lips to Harry’s, opening his mouth and tasting himself on Harry’s tongue, making him moan loudly.

Harry backs Louis onto the bed and climbs next to him, leaning on his left elbow. Harry reaches out and takes Louis’ hand and intertwines it with his, their palms connecting. Harry pulls back from the kiss and looks at Louis. Neither of them say anything for a few moments, then Louis cups Harry’s face with his free hand.

“Kiss me,” insists Louis. “Please. Please kiss me.” Harry leans over and joins their lips together, Louis immediately opening his mouth for him and moaning into it, driving Harry crazy. Louis can feel Harry’s dick throbbing against his leg, causing him to push Harry onto his back and for him to climb on top, straddling his legs. Louis places his hand on either side of Harry’s head and leans over him, kissing his jawline, then his neck. Harry begins to squirm underneath him, grabbing at the sheets.

Harry feels Louis kissing his chest, then licking the laurel tattoos that adorn each side of his stomach. He feels Louis pulling the waistband of his shorts down his legs and throws them across the room. “You are….simply beautiful.” Louis whispers as he begins kissing the inside of Harry’s thigh, his left hand reaching up and grabbing his dick, making Harry moan loudly.

“That’s it, I wanna hear you” and without warning Louis takes Harry into his mouth.

“Oh my god, Louis. Fuck!” He yells out, as Louis begins sucking harder, his hands running up and down Harry’s thighs. Harry grabs the sheets and rips them off the corners of the bed. He then grabs at the headboard, trying to ground himself.

Louis’ hands begin to roam the rest of Harry’s body. He grips Harry’s hips as he takes the entire length of Harry’s dick into his mouth, his nose brushing against Harry’s lower stomach.

“Lou, Louis, baby, I’m gonna, baby, oh god.”

Louis pulls off with a loud pop, licking the tip one last time before kissing his way up Harry’s chest. Harry flips them so that Louis is underneath him. “Where’s your stuff?”

“Bedside drawer.”

Harry rummages through and finds lube and a condom, tossing it on the bed next to Louis. “Do you have any idea how bad I want you right? How bad I need you?”

Louis nods. “I think so because I need you right now. Please Harry.”

“I’ve got you baby. I’m gonna take such good care of you.”

Harry lays down next to Louis, propping himself up on his elbow, opening the lube and drizzling some on his fingers, throwing the bottle next to the condom. He brings his fingers down in between Louis’ cheeks and one finger begins circling Louis’ entrance.

He sees Louis holding his breath, looking away from Harry. “Lou?”

Louis slowly turns to Harry, their eyes meeting. “It’s….it’s been a long time.”

“We don’t have to -”

“No, I want to. God knows I want to.”

“If it helps any, it’s been a really long time for me too.”

Louis smiles softly. “It does.”

Just then, Harry slowly and gently pushes the tip of his finger into Louis. Louis reaches out and grabs onto Harry’s arms. He goes in a little bit deeper and feels Louis clenching around him.

“Fuck Lou, you feel amazing.” He leans over and kisses Louis as he begins thrusting in and out. “So good for me baby.” Harry pulls his finger almost all of the way out and adds a second as he pushes back inside.

He waits for Louis to adjust and kisses his jawline, bringing his lips up to Louis’ ear, whispering “I’ve never felt anything like this before. Amazing. You feel simply amazing. I can’t wait until it’s my cock inside of you.” Louis throws his head back, squeezing Harry’s arms harder as Harry continues fingerfucking him.

“Harry, another.”

“Lou, I don’t think -”

“Another, I can take it, please.”

Harry looks directly into Louis’ eyes. “I would give you anything and everything you asked me for. I would give up everything if you asked me to.”

He adds a third finger and Louis winces. Harry waits for Louis to adjust and he nods when he’s ready. Harry kisses down Louis’ chest as he begins pulling his fingers out before thrusting them back in, twisting them.

“Oh god, yes.” Louis moans as Harry crooks his fingers, searching for Louis’ spot. After a moment he finds it and Louis lets out a loud yell, grabbing the headboard for support. Harry continues swiping it again and watches as Louis’ dick throbs, precome leaking from the tip.

“You are the most beautiful, sweetest creature that I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” He whispers, moving his eyes up Louis’ body, meeting his eyes as he scissors his fingers, hitting Louis’ spot.

“Oh fuck, right there, right there.” Louis pants. “Harry...I’m….ready…”

“Are you -?”

Louis nods. “I’m sure. I’m sure. Fuck me, Harry, please, please fuck me. I need you.” Harry can hear the begging and pleading in Louis’ voice and knows that if the tables were turned, he would sound just as desperate.

Harry pulls his fingers out and Louis whines at the loss. “I know baby.” Harry says as he wipes his fingers on the sheets and grabs the condom. He tears open the package and rolls it over his dick and drizzles more lube over it. He leans over Louis and lines his dick up with Louis’ entrance.

He hesitates for a moment, searching Louis’ face for any signs of uncertainty. But he doesn’t find any, all he sees is what he can only describe as love. But it can’t be, there’s no possible way that Louis could love him. No one could.

Harry shakes that feeling off as he starts pushing inside of Louis, only the tip at first, waiting for Louis to adjust. When Louis lets out a big breath, Harry pushes in further, inching in slowly and gently.

He finally bottoms out and has to grab the base of his dick to stop himself from coming immediately at the feeling of Louis’ walls around him.

“Lou….” His voice trailing off, unable to find the right words to say everything he’s feeling.

“I know.” Louis responds and it’s everything that Harry needs to hear. He begins moving his hips and Louis brings his legs up, wrapping them around Harry’s waist.

Louis lets go of the headboard and reaches his hands up to the sides of Harry’s face, cupping it, bringing it closer to his until their lips are brushing against each other’s.

“Fuck. You feel amazing. Unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.” Harry says into Louis’ lips.

Harry knows that he isn’t going to be able to hold on much longer, but he wants Louis to come again before he does, so he reaches between them and finds Louis’ dick, hard and throbbing. He begins stroking it and Louis yells out at the overstimulation as Harry’s dick finds his spot and begins rubbing against it.

Louis starts writhing underneath him. “That’s it baby.” Harry keeps praising him. “You’re taking me so well, come for me baby. Go ahead and come for me.”

Harry feels Louis’ orgasm, feels him clench around his dick, feels completely overwhelmed by everything that’s happened since he entered Louis’ apartment, feels himself following Louis over the edge. He comes into the condom, panting, thrusting one final time inside of Louis.

He stops moving and looks down at Louis. He has tears falling down his cheeks, his hair is a disaster, his skin is slicked with sweat, his lips are swollen, but Harry has never seen anything more glorious in all of his life.

He pulls out of Louis, gently and painstakingly slow. He kisses Louis one more time before climbing off the bed and heading to the bathroom. He takes off the condom, tying it off and tossing it out. He splashes water on his face and finds a towel hanging on the rack behind the door. He takes it with him as he enters the bedroom.

Harry wipes Louis off, cleaning him up, giving him kisses all over his body as he does, pulling the blankets up on top of Louis. He picks up his shorts and as he goes to put them on, Louis stops him. “Stay.” He says softly and Harry’s heart has never been happier.

“Are you-” He hesitates for a moment. “Louis, are you sure?”

Louis looks at him and nods. “I’m sure.” He pulls the blankets back and Harry drops his shorts back onto the floor and climbs into bed next to Louis.

“I like to be the little spoon.”

Louis laughs into Harry’s hair as he snuggles up to Louis, his back to Louis’ chest. “Well I guess it’s a good thing I like to be the big spoon.”

Harry reaches around and grabs Louis’ arm, wrapping it around himself and intertwining their hands.

Harry feels Louis brush the hair out of his face, feels Louis kiss his cheek gently, feels Louis bring him in closer and for the first time in a very, very long time, Harry feels happy, safe, content.

He begins to drift slowly to sleep, with Louis slowly rubbing circles on his arm.

The last thing that he hears before he falls asleep is Louis sighing deeply. He doesn’t hear what Louis says next.

“Niall’s right.” Louis whispers in the dark, almost as if it’s a secret he’s confessing to the room.

“I’ve….Harry, I….I think I’m falling for you.”


	6. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis and Harry talk about past relationships and if they can have a future together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to verbal abuse. Please read with caution.

Chapter 6 - The Morning After 

 

When Louis wakes up, it’s to an empty bed. He is more than devastated at the thought of Harry getting up in the middle of the night, gathering up his belongings and heading out. He wouldn’t even know where Harry would have gone since his house was surrounded by fans and paparazzi when he snuck out the back door.

Louis sits up in bed and the first thing he notices are Harry’s shorts and his shirt laying on the floor. To say that Louis’ heart did flips inside his chest would be an understatement.

The second thing he notices, well hears, actually, is the shower water running. He scrambles out of bed and hurries into the bathroom. He pulls the curtain back and climbs in behind Harry, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist.

Harry places his hands on top of Louis’ and leans his head back onto Louis’ shoulders. “Good morning beautiful.”

Louis kisses Harry’s shoulder blade. “Good morning. I thought you had left.”

“Want to get rid of me already huh?” Harry says.

“What? No! Of course not. I -”

Harry laughs, “I was just joking.”

Louis bites the shoulder blade that he was just kissing. Harry turns around and pushes Louis back into the shower wall, where he kisses him lazily yet hungrily. He grabs Louis’ left leg, hiking it up and grabs Louis’ right hand, holding it in place over his head. “Do you have any idea how crazy you drive me?” He growls into Louis’ ear.

“Why don’t you show me?” Louis says as he digs his nails into Harry’s back.

**

Twenty minutes later they’re back in Louis’ bed after Harry jerked them both off to completion, with two fingers inside of Louis rubbing his prostate, neither of them caring when the shower water ran cold. Harry has his shorts on and Louis’ thrown on a pair of sweatpants, but they’re both shirtless laying together. Louis has his head on Harry’s chest, his left arm over Harry’s stomach and his left leg over Harry’s legs.

“Lou?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Louis begins rubbing circles around Harry’s belly button. “Yeah, of course.”

“Last night you said something….”

 _Oh fuck_ , thinks Louis. _No, no, no, no. I never should have said anything. I am so fucking stupid. I always do this, I always jump in with both feet first without even fucking looking. Shit, here it comes._ He was so sure that Harry had been asleep when he confessed he was developing feelings for Harry.

“You said it had been a long time for you and I was just wondering how long.” He pauses before continuing. “You know what nevermind, it’s none of my business. God, I can’t believe I just, Lou, I am so sorry. I mean we’re not even together and I’m already invading your privacy by asking inappropriate -”

Louis laughs, partly because he’s so relieved and partly because Harry is talking a mile a minute once again. “You’re so adorable when you’re rambling. It’s ok, I don’t mind talking about it. It’s been about two years since I had sex and even longer since I’ve been in a proper relationship. And I know we’re not together, but I’d really….I’d like to get to know you better. As Harry, the person. Not the pop star. Just you.”

“Why?”

Louis starts to speak but Harry stops him. “Listen Louis - you are a really great guy. But I’m...I’m a mess and a fucking suspect. You don’t want to get mixed-up with someone like me.”

“Why do you say things like that about yourself? You’re amazing, can you see that?”

“I’ve been told the opposite for so long, it’s kinda hard to believe the good when someone tells you the bad for such a long time.”

Louis looks at him puzzled. “Who would ever say anything bad about you?”

Harry sighs. “Jeff.”

“Jesus christ Harry, what did you ever see in him? He has zero redeeming qualities from what I’ve seen.”

Harry sighs. “He wasn’t always like this. Or maybe he was and I was just too in love or too stupid to notice. In the beginning he was so supportive, telling me he believed in me and was proud of me and that he knew I would be a big star, a household name. He did everything he could to help me - pep talks when I was struggling, talking me down when I got too anxious. Then the album came out and he changed. God did he change.”

Harry sits up, causing Louis to sit up as well. “You don’t have to tell me.” Louis says softly.

Harry shakes his head. “I want to.” He continues. “All he saw was dollar signs, like I was his personal piggy bank. He wanted me to add more shows to the tour, more merch to the already over-the-top amount I had already agreed to. He got into fights with my managers and wanted me to fire them. He wanted to manage my career and had tons of grandiose ideas.”

“I started getting really bad anxiety just thinking about it and would lock myself away and he would bang on the door yelling at me to get my shit together and that if I didn’t listen to him then I’d be a nobody just like I was before I met him. He would yell at me constantly and tell me all sorts of horrible things and when you hear it enough, you start to believe it.”

“Harry….”

“I know what you’re gonna say and believe me I know I was stupid for staying, especially when the fighting began. We fought constantly - about him not doing anything to get better and get back to tennis. About me giving him an allowance because he was spending money right and left…..”

Harry paused. “I was _this_ close to leaving and even packed up and went to stay with Liam and Gemma for a few days. Jeff called me all the time while I was gone, crying, apologizing, begging me to come back, promising he’d change. And like an idiot I did. And for a while things were really good. He was attentive, he promised to curb his spending and even got a personal trainer to help him get back to tennis. And then he proposed. I thought that everything was getting better, so I agreed to marry him. Liam made sure that Jeff signed a prenup since he wasn’t convinced Jeff had changed at all. And I’m really thankful he did because obviously Jeff didn’t and hasn’t changed one bit.”

“Wow, I had no idea.”

“I don’t think anyone did - until the pictures of him with Matt were published.”

“God Harry, what a nightmare.”

“I don’t want your sympathy Louis. I did this to myself and now I have to deal with the repercussions. So you see why I’m telling you - I am not worth it. You deserve so much better than me.

Harry looked down for a moment before Louis brought his hands up to Harry’s face and urged him to look at Louis. He gently caressed his cheeks. “I’d like to be the judge of that.”

“Lou…” Harry started but Louis had silenced him with a kiss.

“I’m not anything special either, you know. I’ve had my share of fuck-ups.”

“Liam told me that you lost your badge.”

Louis nodded. “Among other things.”

“You don’t have to talk about it -“

“I don’t mind.” Louis sits up and crosses his legs. “I guess I’ll start at the beginning. Niall and I were working on a case - the Scott Jefferson case - a little more than two years ago. Scott was accused of embezzling money from his business partners and sending it to a bank account in the Caribbean. About two million dollars in total. They filed charges, and while searching his property in the Westchester, we discovered a dead body and he was booked on murder charges.”

He pauses, looking at Harry, who nods in an encouraging way. “It’s ok.”

“I kind of became obsessed with the case. The tip that lead us to investigate Scott in the first place came from his own office phone, which didn’t make any sense, why would he turn himself in? Things just weren’t adding up and I was determined to get to the bottom of it. Scott was out on bail and came to the station late one night while I was working. We talked. Well, flirted really, and wound up back at his place. We started sleeping together every chance we got and soon the lines were blurred and I started talking to him about the case and what evidence we had.”

Louis sighs and feels Harry’s hands take his and bring them up to his lips. He kisses them gently.

Louis continues. “I knew it was wrong, I knew. I knew that I should have put a stop to it, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t say I was that in love with Scott, more like I was in lust with Scott. I thought we were getting along great, but in reality Scott was just using me to get all the information on his case. When we went to court it was a disaster. My name was dragged through the mud, I was accused of some heinous things and of course, Scott got off completely. I hit rock bottom and became depressed. I didn’t want to eat, didn’t leave my apartment. All I did was sleep. Eventually the depression became too much and I contemplated suicide.”

“Oh Louis.”

“No, don’t do that. I don’t want sympathy. I made my bed and I had to lie in it and deal with the consequences. I just want you to know where I’m coming from.”

“Then why? Why are you willing to do it again? Aren’t I the same as Scott Jefferson? I’m still a suspect and we’re sleeping together. Why are you willing to go down the same path? I can’t let you do that again Louis. I can’t let you risk everything over me.”

“I don’t trust people lightly, not since Scott. So when I was first assigned to your case I was cynical. A pop singer with flashy clothes? He’d use his money and influence to get himself cleared of all charges for sure, without a doubt.”

Harry looks at him with a puzzled look on him face. “You don’t still think that do you? Do you think that I’m using you to get information? Oh god, Louis. That’s not, oh please don’t think that’s why I came here last night.”

Louis jumps up and climbs onto Harry’s lap, straddling his legs. Harry places his hands on Louis’ hips. “Oh god no. No baby, I don’t think that at all. I didn’t do anything that I didn’t want to do. And I know that’s not why you came here last night. As I was investigating you I came across all sorts of information that changed my opinion of you completely. You’re nothing like Scott - nothing.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re willing to go down the same path then. You’re sleeping with a suspect, you’re gonna lose your job and I can’t let that happen. I won’t.”

“I don’t get a say in the matter?”

Harry shakes his head. “No. Not in this.”

“Well it’s too late. And I’m willing because I know that you’re innocent and I am going prove it. I’m also going to prove to you that you’re worth the risk, you’re worth it to me Harry. I know that you don't believe me right now, but you'll see. You'll see that you're worth it all."

“Louis, please don’t…”

“Don’t what? Develop feelings for you? Want to get to know you better? Tell me you don’t want that too and we’ll forget this ever happened. Tell me you don’t feel something. Tell me I’m the only one who feels something between us and I’ll never bother you ever again. Tell me Harry.”

Louis pauses, looking into Harry’s eyes. It’s there, he can see it. He leans over Harry and places kisses along his jawline up to his ear. “Lou….” Harry moans out, his hands gripping Louis’ hips tightening.

“Tell me you don’t want me.”

Louis starts kissing back down towards Harry’s mouth.

“I want you Louis. God, I want you so fucking bad. I’ve never wanted anyone more.”

They crash their lips together, Harry tangling his fingers in Louis’ hair, Louis holding onto the headboard on either side of Harry.

Their kiss deepens and Louis reaches for Harry’s waistband, pulling his shorts down his legs, throwing them back on the floor where they’ve spent the majority of the past 18 hours.

“Baby.” Harry moans into Louis’ mouth as Louis starts moving his hips back and forth, Harry moves his hands down and grabs Louis’ ass.

Louis reaches over with his left hand and blindly finds the bottle of lube and a condom from the nightstand. He opens the condom, sliding it onto Harry and then drizzles some of the lube onto Harry’s dick, sliding his hand up and down the shaft. ”Fuck, Louis, oh god. Please, god please. Please. Please. Please.” He begs.

Louis lines Harry up with his entrance and grabs onto the headboard as Harry licks at his left nipple. He sinks down onto Harry without warning, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. Harry finds himself taking several deep breaths to calm himself so he doesn’t finish before they’ve even gotten started. “Fuck Louis, you feel so amazing. So wonderful. So perfect.”

Harry waits for Louis to adjust and begin moving on top of him before reaching up and taking Louis’ face into his hands. “Look at me.” He says softly. “That’s it, let me see those baby blues. I’d...Louis, I want this. I want us. I want you.”

Louis opens his mouth and yells out as Harry’s dick brushes against his prostate. “Fuck, Harry, right there.” Harry brings their lips together as he thrusts up and Louis grinds down, his knuckles turning white from holding onto the headboard so tightly.

The only sounds in the room are the occasional banging of the headboard against the wall and the moans coming from them both - Louis begging Harry not to stop, to fuck him harder, to fuck him deeper and Harry moaning out how good Louis feels, how tight he is around Harry’s dick, how beautiful he looks riding Harry.

The sounds filling the room are so loud that neither of them hear the front door of the apartment open. Neither of them hear Niall calling out for Louis. Neither of them hear the bedroom door open. Neither of them hear the closing of the front door as Niall rushes out.


	7. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam confronts Harry about his relationship with Louis.

Chapter 7 - The Confrontation

 

“Saskia! Thank you so much for making time to meet with us.”

“Anything for you, dear Liam. Come, come, sit, sit. You must be Harry. Liam’s told me all about you.” She shakes his hand and leads him to a chair on the opposite side of her desk.

Harry rolls his eyes. “All good things I’m sure.”

She laughs as she sits down. “Of course darling. So tell me about the property and let’s see what we can do to get it to sell as soon as possible.” She runs her fingers through her short brown hair and pulls out the folder containing all the details that Liam’s already sent to her. “So I see here the police have released the apartment?

Liam nods. “Yes, finally. As of Tuesday Harry has the property back. The police didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get the property released. I understand they needed to go through it room-by-room, inch-by-inch for their investigation, but it should have been back in Harry’s possession weeks ago. I don’t want to make any false accusations, but it makes me wonder if someone dropped the ball.”

“And I see here Harry, that you paid one point four million for it? I pulled comps and feel that we can reasonably ask three point t -”

“Sell it for one point four.” Harry interrupts.

“Harry.” Liam starts before Harry holds his hand up to stop him.

“Look, Saskia, I’m sure that you’re very good at your job and want to get the best price. But I simply don’t care right now. It’s a police crime scene, I fucking stabbed a man in the kitchen. Asking anything over what I paid for it is ridiculous. I’d love to sell it for a dollar, but Liam is adamant that I ask something for it, so one point four it is.”

No one says anything for a moment or two, before Saskia breaks the silence. “I assume the apartment will need to…..” Her voice trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

“To be thoroughly cleaned and packed?” Harry finishes. “Yes, I’ve already made arrangements to have a restoration company come out on Friday and do a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. And a moving company is going to be packing up whatever belongings I have there this weekend. It should be ready to be listed by Monday.”

“Oh, well, very good then. I thank you for making my job easy.”

“I just want this place sold so I can move on.”

She reaches across her desk and takes Harry’s hands in her. “I understand. Well, not quite, but I understand you wanting to be rid of this property and I am going to do everything in my power to make that happen as soon as possible.”

Harry gives her a small smile. “I appreciate that.”

She takes her hands back and pulls out a piece of paper. “Now I just have a few things for you to sign, then you’ll be on your merry way.”

**

“You what?”

Liam didn’t even have a chance to shut the door to his office before Harry blurted out his news.

“I slept with Louis.”

They’re back in Liam’s office after their meeting with Saskia. Liam had wanted to go over the divorce papers and get Harry’s signature, making it finally final - something that should have been done weeks ago.

But, it turns out that Jeff had omitted one of the pages requiring his signature (Harry believed it was on purpose) and tracking him down to get it back (and signed) had been a nightmare for Liam. He had called Jeff’s lawyer numerous times, never receiving a call back. Finally Liam had given him an ultimatum that Jeff sign the final page and get it back to Liam as soon as possible or they would be going to court. It seems that that lit a fire under Jeff and the previous day the missing page was delivered via courier. Now all that was needed was Harry’s signature.

Harry hadn’t mean to let it slip out that he and Louis had slept together, but it had been bottling up in him for over the past month and he had to tell someone before he exploded.

Liam slams the door to his office, making the picture frames on the wall sway back and forth from the force.

“Harry! What the fuck were you thinking? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“I was thinking….you know what? It doesn’t matter what I was thinking.” Harry turns in his chair to face Liam. 

Liam runs his hands through his hair, resting them on the back of his neck. He takes a deep breath.

“Well, you need to be thinking about staying the fuck out of jail and not about getting laid. God damn it Harry, you are the prime suspect in a stabbing, which resulted in the guy that you stabbed being put into a coma and now you’ve slept with the lead detective. There are so many things wrong in that sentence that I don’t even know where to begin.” Liam sighs heavily, walking over to his desk.

“You can begin by being my best friend, instead of my fucking lawyer.”

Liam sits down in the chair next to Harry. “Ok, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I guess the lawyer just leaps out in situations like this. Tell me how this happened,” Liams starts. “But do me a huge favor and leave out the x-rated details.”

Harry starts to tell Liam all the details of the past month, starting with the night that fans had found his address on twitter. Harry confesses that it was actually two days before he told Liam about the fans and paparazzi surrounding his place.

“Hold on a second. You mean to tell me the fans actually found your address on a Wednesday, but you didn’t tell me about it until that Friday? And you stayed at Louis’ place that whole time? Everytime I spoke to you during those two days you were with Louis? Fuck Harry, this is not gonna look good in court. Please explain to me what the fuck you were thinking because I am failing to see anything positive in this.”

“You’re fucking doing it again, being all judgemental and lawyer-y. Just be my fucking friend. And yes, I stayed at Louis’ apartment for those two days. And you know what Liam? I wasn’t thinking about court at the time. I wasn’t thinking about the stabbing. I wasn’t thinking about prison. I was thinking of how happy Louis makes me, how safe I feel when I’m with him and how during those two days we weren’t Louis the detective or Harry the suspect. We were just Louis and Harry and it was incredible and I don’t understand why you can’t be happy for me.”

“How many times have you slept with him?”

“What?”

“You just said you stayed with him for two days. I assume you slept with him more than once during that time.”

“Umm, well, we’ve actually been sleeping together for…..” Harry’s voice trails off.

“How long Harry?”

“A little over a month.”

“Oh my fucking god, you cannot be serious right now! You’re dating the lead detective?”

“So what if I am? We don’t talk about the case. I only know what you tell me, not once has Louis mentioned anything about it. We talk about other things, if you must know. Our families, past relationships, college, literally anything but the case.”

“Holy shit.” Liam stands up and walks around to the other side of his desk. He places his palms down on the top and leans forward. “God damn it, this can’t be happening.” He pauses. “Look at me Harry.”

Harry slowly meets Liam’s gaze. They both stare at each other for a few moments before Liam speaks. “You’ve fallen in love with him, haven’t you?”

“Maybe I have.”

Liam runs his fingers through his hair and turns to the window, his back facing Harry.

“So what if I love him, Liam? He makes me happy, happier than I’ve ever been before. Louis has made me happier in a month than Jeff did in three fucking years. He makes me feel safe, he makes me feel important, he makes me want to be a better person, to clear my name so that I can go back to my house without having fans and paps camped out on the front lawn. So that I can go back to making music, go back on tour and be back on stage. He makes me feel all those things, but most importantly, Louis makes me feel loved.”

“I cannot fucking believe this, after everything I told you about his past.”

“And he told me his side and I believe him. He hit rock bottom, he almost killed himself, you know? That’s how depressed he was and how devastated he was after everything that happened. He fought to come back, he fought for his life, he fought for his job and he’s a better man because of it.”

“So then why the fuck is he willing to make the same  _ stupid  _ mistake all over again?”

“Wow.”

Liam turns around. “Shit, Harry, I didn’t mean -”

Harry stands up and walks to the door, his hand on the doorknob, he pauses and turns to face Liam. “You know what? Why don’t you just stick to the lawyer thing because you’re really fucking shit at the friend thing!” He opens the door and walks out.

“Harry, wait!”

Liam rushes to the door. “Harry!”

But it’s too late, the elevator doors have already closed behind him.


	8. The Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louis gets the break in the case that he's been looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references of cheating and violence. Please read with caution.

Chapter 8 - The Break

 

“Holy shit, Addie, I could fucking kiss you.”

“Umm, yeah, let’s not.” She says as she pushes the copy of the prenup across the table to Louis’ side.

“It was a joke, you’re not my type, you know, having breasts and all.”

“Jesus Tomlinson, reel it in for fuck’s sakes. Although I do have some glorious breasts, so your loss. Now fucking turn to page twelve.”

Louis smiles as he turns to the correct page. He and Addie have crossed paths many, many  times over the past couple of years. She’s his go-to girl for all legal matters and he has her on speed dial for when he has a question involving something that’s over his head.

She’s petite, about 4’11” - but her personality is larger than life. She’s one of the very few people who can appreciate Louis’ crazy sense of humor and who’s not only able to take it, but also dish it back to Louis.

She has a flair for fashion and it shows in today’s outfit - a floral print business suit with a bright red button down shirt underneath.

“I do need to apologize for not getting to this sooner. I was on a trial and I thought it would have wrapped up sooner, but the defense lawyer was a real piece of work and called this fingerprint ‘expert.’ And trust me, I use the term loosely. He took three weeks to testify and the result was what he could have said in twenty minutes. I hope this delay hasn’t thrown a wrench in your investigation.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Armstrong is still in a coma and there hasn’t been another attack on Harry, so it’s all good. Now, you do realize I have no idea what I’m looking at. This could be French for all I know. It’s just a bunch of legal bullshit.”

She tucks a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear and picks up her pen off the conference table. “That’s where I come in.”

“I’m glad because I really, really need to know what this says.”

“Ok, so if you look to the second paragraph there’s a clause. Basically if either Fisher or Styles is caught cheating on the other and that is the reason for the divorce, then a million dollars is at stake. With proper proof, they’d owe the other one one million dollars. So -”

“So when those pictures of Fisher and Armstrong hit the papers, Fisher found himself in the hole to Harry for one million dollars. Jesus. That is unbelievable.”

“I’m just reading what’s there.” She begins making notes on a yellow legal pad.

Louis pushes away from the table and stands up. He walks over the the window and begins packing back and forth in front of it.

“Jesus, you pace too, I thought Horan was the only one who did that.”

He stops and looks at her. “Don’t mock the pacing, it really works.”

“Whatever.” She says as she turns her attention back to her notes.

“So.” Louis begins. “If I’m understanding this correctly...basically the prenup is just a formality, except in the event of an affair, then money actually comes into play. Which would explain why Fisher was dragging his feet about signing the divorce papers. He had to have known that he’d owe Harry a shit ton of money once the divorce is finalized. This is amazing!  Money is definitely back on the table as a motive.”

Addie looks up at Louis and shrugs. “If you say so. All I know is that whoever drew up this prenup really knew what they were doing. It definitely protects Styles 100%. I’m not sure why Fisher would have agreed to this prenup in the first place, he must have a shit lawyer, but the most Styles would have had to pay is the million dollars, which is probably a drop in the bucket to him at this point.”

“Harry’s lawyer drew it up and yeah, he does seem to know what he’s doing. One other question, any mention of property or houses in there? I think Harry has a few properties, what happens to those in the divorce.” Louis had stopped pacing and was looking out the window. “I looked at Fisher’s bank account and there’s no way he can afford to pay Harry. So why did he finally sign the papers? He must be getting the money from somewhere.”

“Why do you keep doing that?” Addie asks as she’s flipping through several pages of the prenup in front of her.

“I told you, the pacing works.“

“I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about the fact that you keep calling him Harry. In all the years I’ve known you, you have only ever referred to people - especially suspects - by their last names. So why do you keep calling him by his first name?”

“Oh.” Louis pauses, trying to come up with a good excuse. “Do I? I hadn’t realized I was doing that.”

“Jesus Louis, is this another Jefferson?”

Louis turns around and looks at her. “What the fuck kind of question is that? For fuck’s sakes  _ Addie,  _ I think I learned my lesson. I already said I hadn’t realized I was doing it. Now, can you please tell me about the properties?”

Addie shakes her head. “I sincerely hope you know what you’re doing Louis. As for the properties, it looks like Styles has two places in London and two places in New York that he’ll keep. Fisher has a place in New York and a place in….well that’s interesting.”

“What is?”

“According to this, Fisher has a place in Connecticut. That he co-owns with….Matt Armstrong.”

“What? No, you’ve gotta be mistaken. How could this have slipped under the radar? Show me.” He walks over to the table and leans over next to her.

“Bitch please, when have you ever known me to be mistaken? Look right here,” she points to a paragraph on the page in front of her. “It was purchased two years ago.”

Louis pulls out the chair next to her and sits down. “This doesn’t make any sense. Two years ago? That’s before Fisher and  _ Styles  _ were married, but they were together at that point. Why is Fisher buying a house in Connecticut with Armstrong while he’s planning to marry Styles? Have Fisher and Armstrong been together this whole time? Shit is that the time, I gotta go. I’m supposed to meet Niall in the forensics lab to go over cell phone records.”

He jumps up and heads for the door. “Thanks Addie, I think you’ve just given me what I need to get this case solved.”

She smiles up at him. “You know that I’m always happy to help,” she waves to him, “now get out of here. And Louis, please be careful.”

**

Fifteen minutes later, Louis walks into the forensics lab and sees Niall and the station’s lead tech expert, Kimberly, reading over a bunch of papers.

“I am so sorry I’m late, I was meeting with Addie and I think I might be onto something. Whatcha got for me?” He asks and he walks over to the table, joining the other two.

Kimberly starts. “Ok, well first of all, you own me a drink or two or twenty eight. The amount of texts and emails and voicemails in this case is ridiculous. It’s taken me weeks to sort through everything. I didn’t want to call you to come in until I had gone through everything. I didn’t want to miss anything.”

Louis smiled at her. “Well I appreciate you being thorough.”

She smiled back. “Thank you for your patience. I know that you want to get this case wrapped up.” She picked up a piece of paper. “Ok, well let’s start with Styles. His cell phone is incredibly boring. Calls and texts to his lawyer, sister, mother, Jeff Fisher and someone named Lottie Shephard? And recently, there have been calls to you, Louis. So, unless he’s got another cell phone stashed away somewhere, that’s it. For an international pop singer he certainly doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

“He just doesn’t trust a lot of people. Those calls to me are just three-ways with his lawyer, or conference calls with him. Just routine follow up questions” Louis says defensively, which Niall doesn’t miss. “And Lottie is his personal assistant. Anything in the texts?”

Kimberly shakes her head. “Nope. Boring stuff, dinner plans with his sister, pictures of a baby, his mother checking in on him, business stuff with his PA and him basically begging Fisher to sign the divorce papers. That’s it. Like I said, boring.”

She takes her hair out of the messy bun it’s been in and reties it up. Louis has always been fond of Kimberly. She’s a no-nonsense, straight shooting, take no bullshit kind of person and Louis appreciates it when she tells it like it is and doesn’t sugar coat things.

“Ok, what about Fisher?” Louis asks, grabs the papers off the table. He steps back and begins pacing back and forth.

“Never again say a bad word about the pacing.” Niall says.

Louis smiles, “Never again.” He flips to the next page and starting reading.

“Well if you look on the fourth page there’s a whole bunch of texts between Fisher and Matt Armstrong on the night of the attack.”

Louis flips to the page and reads. “Holy fuck, this is it. This is what we needed. Where’s Armstrong’s records?”

She hands him a piece of paper, “Look at the bottom.”

Louis’ face breaks out in a smile. “Jesus christ, this is amazing. Lambert’s? Where are Lambert’s? Show me Lambert’s” Kimberly slides them over to the far end of the table.

“Calm down Louis.” Niall says as Kimberly tells him to turn to pages six, seven and eight. Louis quickly reads through them, then throws the papers onto the table and begins pacing again. “Wait, how did you get Lambert’s records?”

Louis looks up to him. “After the day at the hospital when I found out about Lambert and Armstrong, I got a warrant for his cell and laptop.” He turns his attention back to the pacing.

It’s silent in the room for a moment or two. Niall and Kimberly are pouring over cell phone records and emails when all of a sudden Louis shouts “Oh my god. I’ve got it. I’ve got it! This is it Niall!”

“Ok, ok, walk me through it all, from the beginning.” Niall says, without looking up from what he’s reading.

“Jeff Fisher and Matt Armstrong are behind this whole thing. They’ve been together this whole time and fucking played Harry and us for fools.”

“What? Louis what the fuck are you talking about? How did you come to that conclusion?”

“All right, follow along. Fisher and Armstrong get together sometime years ago. Maybe before Harry, maybe after, but it’s obvious they’re serious based on the fact that they bought a house together in Connecticut two years ago -  _ before _ Fisher marries Harry.”

“Wait what?”

Louis ignores him and continues. “After the wedding Fisher and Armstrong plot to catch Harry in a cheating scandal with Vincent Lambert. They hoped that by them being on tour together on the other side of the world it would lead to something, especially if they suspect that Fisher and Armstrong are getting it on while back home. Then Fisher can divorce Harry and claim the money from the cheating clause in their prenup.”

Louis stops and sees that both Niall and Kimberly are starting at him, waiting for him to go on.

“Wait, Lambert isn’t gay. Or is he? I am so confused.” Kimberly says.

“Let me finish, I promise it will all make sense….Harry doesn’t take the bait. He’s faithful to Fisher. So their plan stalls.”

Louis’ pacing has picked up as he gets more and more animated explaining the details of the plot.

“In the meantime Armstrong is sleeping with Lambert. According to what I overhead at the hospital, Lambert is in love with Armstrong, head over heels in love, which I don’t think either of them took into account, so of course he won’t cheat. So now their plan is dead in the water.”

Louis just keeps talking, ignoring the looks that Kimberly and Niall are giving him.

“Their luck goes from bad to worse when they’re caught by the paps leaving Fisher’s apartment hand-in-hand. Harry gets word and flies home. Still not sure what happens between them, but it definitely wasn’t good since Harry cancels the tour and files for divorce.”

His hands are moving a mile a minute as he continues laying out the details of the plot.

“So now Fisher is definitely fucked over. He’s in the hole for one million dollars to Harry according to their cheating clause. So he and Armstrong come up with a new plan - kill Harry.”

“Jesus fucking christ.” Kimberly exclaims. “This is some seriously fucked up shit.”

“Oh it gets better.”

“Louis, you can’t be serious. What else could you possibly have to add?” Niall asks.

“Vincent Lambert’s role in all of this.” Louis responds.

“Wait what? Louis, I am so confused by all this. Hold on, let’s recap.” Niall says, pacing back and forth with his hand on top of his head, trying to make sense of everything Louis’ just described.

“Recap time - Fisher and Armstrong conspire to catch Harry in a cheating scandal to collect the million dollars. When that doesn’t work they ramp up their plans to plot to kill him.”

Niall nods along. “Ok that much I understand, but now you’re throwing Lambert into the mix and you’re losing me.”

“Turns out Vincent Lambert had wanted to come out of the closet and tell the world about his relationship with Armstrong last year right around the time Harry’s album debuted. Because of all the positive press that Harry got being out of the closet, Lambert figured he’d get the same and his fans would embrace him the way they did with Harry.”

“Gotcha so far.”

Kimberly shakes her head. “Haven’t you been pouring over the same evidence as Louis? I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out already, you’re usually a step ahead of Louis.”

He crosses his across his chest and turns to stare directly at Louis. “Yeah well, not everyone has put their every waking moment into this case. Some people seem to have a more vested interest in solving it as soon as possible than others.”

Louis gives Niall a puzzled look. There’s no way that Niall could possibly know about him and Harry, right?

Niall looks away before his face gives away the fact that he knows about Louis and Harry. He turns his attention to Kimberly. “Louis has been taking this case very seriously and is determined to prove that Styles acted in self-defense.”

“Well by all means, continue,” she says to Louis. “The floor is all yours.”

Louis tries to get Niall’s attention, but Niall won’t make eye contact with him any longer. He shakes his head and starts again. “So based on some of his emails, it’s clear that his record label decided it wasn’t a good idea for him to come out right now. He’s got an image clause in his contract and so they ‘hire’ Sabrina Galloway to be his girlfriend and ramp up his masculinity. They make him start dressing different and talking different and to say he and Armstrong are pissed is an understatement.”

Louis pauses, before continuing. “Lambert believes he should be in Harry’s position - beloved by millions, receiving accolades, starring in TV shows and movies, headlining his own tour, being out of the closet, able to be with the man that he loves. Lambert’s album was set to be released but then all hell broke loose with Harry cancelling the tour and according to one email I read, Lambert’s getting ready to be sued by an indie rock group for plagiarism. Things are going from bad to worse for him and he blames one person - Harry. So he conspires to take Harry down.” 

“I swear to fucking god this is like a soap opera.” Kimberly says.

“I wish it was.” Louis says softly. Just thinking about these men all conspiring to take Harry down, to try and get him caught up in a cheating scandal, to kill him, it’s enough to make Louis sick to his stomach. Harry did nothing to deserve this and Louis is more determined than ever to clear his name and prove his innocence once and for all.

“Ok, so what did Vincent Lambert do? He wasn’t anywhere near the Greenwich address and has an airtight alibi according to several witnesses who can place him across town on the night of the attack.” Niall adds.

“What did he do? Vincent Lambert is the mastermind behind this whole nightmare.”

Louis pauses, waiting for Niall to catch on and when he doesn’t Louis continues.

“For starters, he is the one who sets everything in motion. Lambert coerces Armstrong to seduce Fisher, but the thing is, he didn’t know that they were together already and he certainly didn’t know about the house in Connecticut. He wanted them to be caught by the paps, which they were, thanks to his phone tip. He’s the one that called the paps and told them that Fisher and Armstrong would be leaving Fisher’s apartment together. That call sends things spiraling. Harry finds out about the affair and instead of simply filing for divorce like Lambert expected, Harry canceled the rest of the tour. Thus ending Lambert’ chance to make it big. So he ramps up his plans and coerces Armstrong into killing Harry”.

“Jesus christ, the way you described it makes perfect sense.”

“Not so fast.” Niall has stopped pacing and is standing at the edge of the table, leaning on it. Louis has walked over to the table and has sat down, his arms crossed over his chest. “I have questions before we go out, making arrests. First of all, why didn’t Lambert just seduce Styles himself? Then leak the affair to the press. Styles would have been in violation of the cheating clause in the prenup and would have been vilified in the papers.”

“Armstrong.” Louis answer easily. “Lambert is head over heels in love with him and would never do that to him.”

“So it’s ok to have Armstrong cheat on Lambert? That doesn’t make any sense. And is Armstrong really that gullible to be coerced by not one, but two different guys into killing Styles? I know you want this case solved as soon as possible Lou, but we gotta make these claims stick. These cell phone records are all find and dandy, but we need something more.”

Louis stands back up and starts pacing back and forth once again. “We need Armstrong to wake the fuck up and confess to everything, that’s what we need. But since we don’t have that we need to piece together what we have - let’s go over the interview with Lambert. As much as Rodgers fucked it up, there’s some interesting things in there. Lambert speaks very highly of Armstrong for someone who’s supposedly just a PA and old high school friend.”

Niall looks through the stack of papers on the table and pulls out the folder containing the notes from Lambert’s interview.

Louis stops and places his hands on the back of one of the chairs. “Lambert told Rodgers that Armstrong was his PA and as such Armstrong would have had access to all of his schedules, social media, texts, emails. He’d be privy to everything going on in Lambert’s life. He’d see the emails from the label telling Lambert he can’t come out right now. He’d see the emails detailing his contract with Sabrina Galloway. And from the text messages between him and Lambert -”

“Holy fuck!” Niall exclaims, sorting through papers until he finds the one that he needs. “It’s all right here. In the texts. Armstrong had had enough of waiting for Lambert. With Lambert he had to be in the closet, hiding his relationship from the world. And not only that, but having to see Lambert and Sabrina Galloway ‘dating’ - these texts from Armstrong begging for Lambert to break-up with Galloway and be with him, he was having a hard time dealing with their ‘relationship.’ But when he’s with Fisher, he could be out in the open. Able to live his life free and happy in the suburbs of Connecticut.”

Niall pauses and then begins pacing again. “As far as Armstrong being coerced by both Fisher and Lambert? He was playing them both to see where the bigger payday would end up. His plot with Fisher would have been a million dollar payday. With Lambert? Who knows? If all went according to plan, Styles would have left the tour, opening the door for Lambert to swoop in and be the hero. He would have made sure the fans weren’t disappointed and would have finished out the tour, basically stealing all of the fans from right under Styles’ nose.”

“Ok, I’ll admit that it all does make sense - in some sick, demented way.” Kimberly adds.

“It does.” Louis agrees. “Plus it gives us two motives. Money and revenge.”

“What about love?”

Louis stands up straight, facing Niall and Kimberly, with his back to the door. He crosses his arms over his chest.

“Oh my god, do not make me laugh Niall. Do you honestly believe that anyone in this entire fucked up situation is capable of loving anyone but themselves? Each of them is out for number one, talk about a bunch of narcissistic egomaniacs. All of them, every single one.”

“Umm Louis?” Niall motions with his head at the door behind Louis. He turns and standing in the doorway is Harry.

“Harry. Oh god.”

Harry turns and runs. Louis follows close behind him. “Harry, wait! Please!”

But Harry doesn’t stop, instead he bolts down the stairwell and out the front door of the building. Louis tries to keep up, but unfortunately Harry is too fast and is able to outrun him.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Louis pants as he stops at the corner, watching Harry disappear into the crowded sidewalk a block away.


	9. The Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone goes missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to blood, violence, verbal abuse and minor character death. Please read with caution.

Chapter 9 - The Dark

 

The first thing Harry notices when he opens his eyes is, well, nothing.

It’s completely dark where he is. Where  _ is _ he? He can’t see his hand in front of his -

Wait. His hands.

They’re tied behind his back. He struggles to try and free them, but it’s useless. Whoever tied them made sure they were really tight.

That’s when he notices the second thing. His legs are tied too. He’s seated in a chair, that much he knows. At least his legs aren’t tied to the chair. He tries to free his legs. He toes his shoes off, hoping that he’ll be able to slide his legs and feet up and through the restraints. He’s able to move them a little bit, but the restraints are too tight. He puts his feet back down onto the floor and feels something wet and sticky which makes him recoil.

That brings Harry to the third thing he notices. The pain. Everything hurts. From his head to his toes. Every part of his body is throbbing and he thinks he’s going to be sick from the amount of pain that he’s in.

Is this what it feels like to be hit by a truck?

Harry starts to hyperventilate. Where is he? Who’s done this to him? What do they want?

The last thing that he notices is the smell. What the fuck is that smell?

Mold? No, rotting meat maybe? Decay? 

Death maybe? If this is what death smells like.

His breathing picks up, which only makes the pain worse. He must have a punctured lung or some broken ribs? God damn it, why didn’t he pay better attention in health class?

_ Ok Harry, calm down.  _ He tells himself.  _ Think. What’s the last thing you remember? _

Harry tries to concentrate on anything other than the pain he’s in.

Tuesday. He remembers Tuesday.  _ Ok, let’s start there. _

He and Liam had a meeting with that adorable real estate agent Susie? Sally? What the fuck was her name? Saskia! That’s it! They went over selling the Greenwich place.  _ Ok good. Keep going _ .

After the meeting he and Liam went back to Liam’s office to go over the details of the divorce and prenup.

_ God damn it.  _ He thinks.  _ This pain is getting to be way too much. _

On the verge of passing out, Harry takes several deep breaths.  _ You can do this _ , he tells himself.

Liam’s office. Liam confronted him about Louis.

Louis. Oh god, what an idiot he’d been to think that Louis could ever fall for a guy like him.

Louis was amazingly handsome, wonderfully brilliant and he made Harry so, so, so fucking happy. In the short time they’d been together Harry could see the darkness that had settled over him beginning to lift.

But no, Louis could never fall in love with him. Overhearing what Louis thought about him at the station just about broke Harry’s heart. Louis made it clear that he didn’t think that Harry was capable of loving anyone but himself.

Maybe he was right. Maybe Harry was being selfish for wanting Louis. Selfish to think that they could make it work.

But….would Louis truly risk his career, again, just to sleep with Harry?

He remembers going home. He remembers opening the door. He remembers being hit over the head with something heavy and hard. That’s the last thing he remembers.

Just then he heard a door open and footsteps approaching.

He froze. Should he call out? Should he fake being passed out?

Before he had a chance to decide, the lights came on and Harry had to squint in order to adjust to the brightness.

“Well I see that you’re awake finally.”

Harry looked up and saw the last person he ever expected to see.

Jeffrey Fisher.

“Jeff.”

“Hello Harry. Welcome to my home.”

Harry wasn’t sure he had heard correctly. The pain was truly too much to bear and he started to lose consciousness.

Jeff walked over and kicked the chair, startling Harry awake.

“Now, now, can’t have you passing out, the fun’s just getting started.”

“Jeff? Why….why are you doing this? Where are we?” Harry asked, his voice groggy and fading.

“I told you home. The home I was supposed to have with Matt before you fucked it all up.”

“Me? I….I don’t understand. You have Matt.”

“You put him in a fucking coma Harry, the doctors aren’t sure he’ll ever wake up. It was supposed to be you, you were the one who was supposed to die!” Jeff walks over and hold a knife to Harry’s throat.

“You think you’re so wonderful, don’t you? You put on this act so everything thinks you’re a  fucking cupcake. You’re nothing, worthless, can’t even finish out a fucking tour. You had to run home with your tail between your legs. I should just end you now, not like anyone would miss you. But I have plans for you, gotta wait until your precious little detective gets here.”

“Lou…” Harry feels the knife move closer to his throat.

“Yeah, you’re precious Louis. He should be here momentarily to join the party. As you can see…” Jeff points to Harry’s left with the knife. “Detective Rodgers sends his apologies that he couldn’t stick around for the festivities.”

Harry turns his head slightly and looks to the floor where the body of Detective Rodgers lays. He’s obviously dead, blood pooled around him and running across the floor. Harry realizes that’s what he stepped in earlier and leans over and starts vomiting.

“Oh, precious cupcake can’t handle a little blood? What’s gonna happen when your precious Louis gets here and becomes another casualty?”

Harry picks his head up. “Louis’ not coming.” He says slowly, the words hurt physically but more than anything they hurt emotionally.

“That’s where you’re wrong, he’ll be here in about...three minutes, based on the report over the police scanner. You know for a detective he’s not very bright, maybe that’s why you and him get along so well.”

Harry leaned over again, dry heaving which caused Jeff to laugh. “God, you are such a waste. I can’t believe I wasted three years on you.”

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I have to spell everything out for you, don’t I? Money. It’s always about money Harry, and anyone who tells you any differently is lying. You were supposed to sleep with Vincent Lambert. All you had to do is let him stick his dick in you, why couldn’t you just let him fuck you? Then everything would have been perfect. Matt and I would have collected the money from the stupid fucking cheating clause you and Payne insisted on having and your reputation would have been destroyed. But nooooo, you just wouldn’t let him get in your pants. Bet you let the detective fuck you good, didn’t you?”

Harry looks up at Jeff, trying to process everything that he’s just said.

“But since you didn’t fuck Vincent, I had to resort to plan B. You even fucked that up by stabbing Matt. You could never do anything right.”

“I was just -”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jeff interrupts. “Defending yourself, like you’ve said over and over again to anyone who will listen.”

“I was. He attacked -”

“He was supposed to attack you, he was supposed to kill you fuck’s sake! But that didn’t work either, you’re like a fucking cockroach!”

Jeff brings the knife back up to Harry’s throat. “That all ends tonight.”

“Pleas -”

Jeff grabs Harry’s hair with his left hand and pulls his head back. “Don’t you fucking dare! Don’t you fucking beg! Nothing you say will make a damn difference. Just shut up.” He walks over to the workbench that’s in the far corner and picks something up.

He comes back and puts a piece of duct tape over Harry’s mouth. “Much better. Now I don’t have to fucking hear you.”

He starts pacing back and forth in front of Harry, not caring that he’s stepping in the blood. “Do you have any idea how much shit I’ve had to do to get you here?” He looks to Harry for an answer.” “No, of course you don’t, you’re the center of the universe aren’t you? Everything revolves around Harry.”

Harry’s not sure how much more he can take. The pain, the smell, the blood, the body, the verbal abuse from Jeff. Everything is too much and he can feel the tears falling down his cheeks.

Part of him wants Louis to come and save him, to swoop in and save the day, be the hero. The other part wants Louis to stay far away - away from him, away from Jeff, away from this house. To be safe somewhere else, with someone else. Someone worthy of him.

Jeff is still ranting, but Harry has tuned him out. He’s thinking of Louis. Of the last time they were together. They were at Louis’ apartment watching the Yankees game, eating Chinese take-out. Nothing fancy, but it had meant the world to Harry.

They had talked about their siblings. Louis told Harry all about his sister Felicity, who had died when Louis was 15. Harry listened as Louis recalled her murder and how it was the driving force behind his decision to become a detective. He told Harry all about the detectives who were assigned to Felicity’s case. His eyes misted over as he talked about how they were some of the best humans and did everything they could to catch the murderer. And when they did, they personally came over to deliver the news.

Harry couldn’t stop the tears from falling as he remembered the way that Louis opened up to him in a way that no one ever had before. What he wouldn’t give to go back to that night. To be in Louis’ bed, with Louis underneath him, making those sweet, delicious noises.

“Are you even fucking listening to me?”

Harry was snapped back to reality. He was tied to a chair in Jeff’s basement, with a dead body on the floor next to him.

“Jesus christ Harry, show a little respect. I’ve gone through a lot to get you here, the least you could do is pay attention to me.”

Just at that moment, they hear a crash from upstairs. They both look at each other and Jeff puts his finger over his mouth, motioning for Harry not to try anything.

He walks over to the doorway, switching the lights off and leaving Harry in complete darkness once again.

Harry can’t see anything, doesn’t know where Jeff is, if he’s even still in the room. All he knows is that he wants Louis to get out of the house, now.  _ No, Louis! Stay away from this place, stay away from me. Be safe, be happy, be alive. _

He’s crying now, at the thought of anything bad happening to Louis. Then it hits him. He’s in love with Louis. Truly, completely, deeply in love with Louis. He would give up everything for Louis. He would sacrifice anything for Louis. Even his life.

That’s what he needs to do. He needs to die in order for Louis to live.


	10. The Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shot rings out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to blood, violence and minor character death. Please proceed with caution.

Chapter 10 - The Shot

 

“Louis. Louis! Jesus christ! Slow down!”

But he couldn’t slow down. Wouldn’t slow down. How dare Niall even suggest such a thing? Not until he had Harry back. Back in his arms, in his bed, in his life - safe and sound, forever.

Louis looks at the speedometer. “I’m only doing fucking 80 Niall, barely above the speed limit. Besides, those sirens you hear? Those means it’s a fucking emergency, so I’m allowed to speed. Now shut up and tell me again what the fuck Lambert said.”

Niall sighs. He’s known Louis for such a long time and knows that it’s no use arguing with Louis when he’s like this, so Niall simply pulls out his notebook and starts reading.

“Ok, so he called the station and asked for you. You weren’t there so they patched him through to me. He was clearly very upset and mumbling a whole bunch of nonsense. I managed to get him calmed down and he was able to tell me that Fisher had broken into his apartment and confronted him about Armstrong.”

Niall stopped and reached out grabbing onto the door as Louis took a sharp turn. “Louis! I’d like to get there in one piece!”

Louis ignored him. “So why was Lambert calling to speak to me?”

“He knows that you’re the lead detective on the case and wanted you to go after Fisher for the attack.”

Louis swerved. “Fucking shit Lou. Pull over, let me drive. You are obviously way too upset to be driving.”

Louis once again ignored Niall. “So Lambert didn’t say anything about Harry? Did he say why Fisher attacked him in the first place?”

Niall sighed. “Fisher went off on Lambert about the plot he had hatched with Armstrong. I’m still not sure how Fisher found out, there aren’t a lot of people who know. You, me, Kimberly, Rodgers, the chief - I think that’s it. And none of us would have said anything. Anyway, Fisher got in a few punches and kicks and then said something to the effect of ‘I’m gonna finish what you started.’”

Louis pushed his foot down on the gas pedal, inching the car closer to 85 miles per hour.

“Lambert then passed out from the beating and when he came to, he called the station, looking for you, so you’d arrest Fisher for the attack. He got me instead and that’s when I drove over to your place. And you know the rest…. any luck getting a hold of Harry?”

Louis shook his head. “Keeps going straight to voicemail. So either the phone is dead or off.”

“We’ll get him back, Louis. I promise.”

Louis looked over at his best friend and gave him a small smile before turning his attention back to the highway. After Harry had ran out of the station, Louis made his way back and found Niall sitting at his desk. He had finally confessed to Niall that he and Harry had been sleeping together for over a month and that Louis was pretty much in love with Harry.

Niall didn’t seem shocked or surprised at all. A little disappointed, especially after the whole Scott Jefferson ordeal. But Niall saw the look on Harry’s face when he had overheard Louis’ comments and Louis’ demeanor after Harry had run off and Niall knew that this was different than the affair with Scott had been.

“I mean it Lou, he’s gonna be fine.”

Louis just nodded, unable to respond because if he did the tears that had started welling up in his eyes were sure to start falling.

After the call from Lambert, Niall drove directly to Louis’ apartment. When Niall opened the door to his apartment, he found Louis pacing his living room back and forth. He told Niall that he had driven over to Harry’s apartment and had knocked on his door, hoping Harry was there to let him in, so they could talk things out. But after standing outside Harry’s door for fifteen minutes, Louis reluctantly gave up.

He told Niall all about the messages that he had been leaving on Harry’s voicemail, begging Harry to please call him back or come over, pleading with Harry to let him explain his comments.

Niall had taken a deep breath and started telling Louis all about Fisher’s attack on Vincent Lambert and the call that he had taken from Lambert.

Louis knew immediately that something was wrong. He grabbed his keys and headed for the door, with Niall following hot on his heels. They called for backup on the way, with Louis demanding officers go to Fisher’s apartment and call him as soon as they got there.

He and Niall made it to Harry’s in record time and Louis ran up to the second floor and started banging on Harry’s door. He was absolutely desperate, pleading “Harry let me in. Please baby, please let me in. C’mon, baby.”

Backup arrived with the building’s manager who let them in.

That’s when Louis lost it.

The whole apartment has been ransacked. Furniture was tipped over, the TV was in pieces on the floor, papers and books were everywhere. Louis ran to the bedroom and it was the same. Drawers opened, clothes thrown around and no sign of Harry anywhere.

The call came in from the officers who had gone to Fisher’s - there was no sign of either him or Harry there either.

Louis turned to Niall. “I know where they are!” He headed for the door and Niall quickly followed. Louis appreciated the fact that for the first ten minutes of their drive Niall hadn’t said anything. He let Louis cool off a little bit and try to gather his thoughts.

All Louis could think about was Harry and the way that Harry had invaded each of his senses. He could hear the longing in Harry’s voice as Louis rode him. He could taste the saltiness of Harry on his tongue. He could see the way that Harry stole little glances at him from across the table when he thought Louis wasn’t watching. He could smell the vanilla of Harry’s shampoo. He could feel Harry’s touch all over him - on his body, in his heart.

“Call the local guys and have them meet us at the address I gave you.” Louis had finally said after the initial ten minutes of silence.

“I already did, they’re waiting on your go.”

Now, Niall could almost breath a sigh of relief as Louis slowed the car down so that he could take the next exit. Louis breezed through stop signs and intersections and headed in the direction that he GPS was telling him to go.

He cut the sirens off as his pulled into the quiet subdivision. He finally stopped the car several houses down and got out. He opened the trunk and he and Niall put on their bulletproof vests and walked over to the local officers had been waiting for them.

“Shouldn’t we wait for the SWAT team?” asked one of the local cops.

“We should, but we’re not going to. At least I’m not going to. You? You can wait here if that’s what you’d like, but there is a hostage in there and I am determined to get him out - alive, as soon as possible.”

Louis goes over the plan with everyone and makes sure safeties are off and vests are on. Niall pulls him aside. “You sure you want to go in there? You can wait out here, you know? No one will judge you for -”

Louis shakes his head. “I’m going in. Harry’s in there and I want to be the first person that he sees after Fisher gets taken down.”

Niall nods. “Ok, if you’re sure.”

Louis looks at him. “100%.”

“Well, then let’s go get him.”

They make their way to the small blue two-story house in the quiet neighborhood of New Canaan, Connecticut. The local cops have already gone house-to-house, checking on the neighbors and telling them to stay inside.

Louis gets to the back door and finds it unlocked. He very gently turns the doorknob and opens it and turns to Niall, who then holds the door open as Louis peeks inside, looking for any signs of a boobytrap.

Sensing that the coast is clear, he steps inside the house. He finds himself in the kitchen and turns, motioning for Niall to enter.

They make their way deeper inside the kitchen. There’s no sign of Harry. The logical choices would be the attic or the basement. Not wanting to be split from Niall, he points to the two local officers who have entered the house behind them. He points to the upstairs and they nod.

He and Niall walk down the hallway, looking for the door to the basement.

Just then they hear a crash from the next room. They rush in and see that one of the officers has knocked a picture frame off the wall.

“Fuck.” Louis mutters under his breath.

The cop mouths “sorry” but it’s too late. The damage is done, their cover is blown. Jeff now knows that they’re here.

Louis motions for the officers to go up the stairs and they nod, turning and heading to the second floor.

Niall follows Louis down the hall and they find the door to the basement. He goes to flip the lights on, but nothing happens. He tries again. Nothing.

“Fuck.” He goes back into the kitchen and rummages through the drawers until he finds a flashlight. It’s not as strong as his police-issued one, but that’s sitting in the trunk of his car. Niall tells him to wait, he’ll be right back with a better flashlight.

But as soon as Niall leaves the house, Louis makes his way back to the basement steps, he stops and clicks on the flashlight. He listens for any sounds, but doesn’t hear anything.

He slowly makes his way down the steps and stops once he reaches the basement floor. To his right is a doorway and to his left is an open space.

He heads to the left and shines the flashlight around the open area. There’s a washing machine, dryer, water heater and a bunch of gardening supplies. Nothing out of the ordinary for a suburban basement.

Louis turns around and makes his way to the doorway. He follows the light and sees a body on the floor. His heart stops until he realizes the man is bald and wearing a police uniform. There is blood everywhere and Louis is trying to calm himself, hoping that none of it belongs to Harry.

He moves the light around the body, searching for any signs of Harry. He sees a pair of shoes laying in the middle of the room.

Then Louis sees him. Harry.

He’s in a chair next to a workbench. The light hits him and he lifts his head to see Louis standing in the doorway. 

Louis rushes over to him, calling out his name. “Harry!” He reaches Harry in record time. “Baby, I’m here. Oh god, I’m here.”

Louis pulls of the piece of duct tape covering Harry’s mouth. “Jeff.”

“I know. I know everything. Where is he?”

Harry leans his head on Louis’ shoulders and it becomes apparent that Harry is in a lot of pain. Louis takes out his pocket knife and cuts Harry’s hands and feet free. “Baby. Harry, look at me. I need you to stand up, ok? I’m gonna get you out of here, all right? Where’s Jeff? Do you know where he went?”

“I’m right here.”

Louis spins around and drops the flashlight while trying to juggle Harry and his gun. The flashlight rolls underneath the workbench and Louis curses under his breath.

“Lou…” Harry cries out.

“I’ve got you. Just hold on, ok?”

Louis aims his gun in the direction where Jeff is, or he thinks Jeff is. The room is almost completely dark, the only light coming from the flashlight, but even that isn’t a lot since it’s hidden under the workbench. 

“Well isn’t this sweet? I’d hate to break up the reunion. Actually no, I wouldn’t.”

Louis listens and hears Jeff moving to his right, so he shifts Harry to his left. He aims and takes a shot.

“Detective Tomlinson. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Well, there’s a lot that you don’t know about me.”

“I could say the same about your good buddy Rodgers over there. He was more than willing to sabotage the case. He fucked up the Lambert interview on purpose and fed me all the information I needed. I knew you were getting close, which is why I had to speed things up.”

Louis aims and shoots again. The room falls silent and Louis breathes a sigh of relief.

It’s short lived because Louis feels Harry pull away and leap in front of him. He hears Harry call out for Louis to run and then Harry falls to the ground.

Louis can see Jeff pull the knife out of Harry and he shoots twice, hitting Jeff who falls back and onto the floor.

Louis rushes to Harry and puts his hands over the stab wound in his stomach. “Don’t you dare leave me, you hear me?”

“Lou….”

“Niall, get the paramedics in here - NOW!” He yells into his walkie-talkie, which he tosses to the side.

“Harry, you stay with me. Baby, help with be here any minute.”

“I’m so sorry.” Harry cries out.

“No. Do not say that Harry. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Louis brushes the tears off of Harry’s cheeks. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am the one who’s sorry. I -”

“Louis, I’m so cold.”

“Harry, no. Do not close your eyes. Look at me, baby, look at me.”

Louis hears footsteps coming down the stairs. “In here!” He calls out.

Niall, several officers and a dozen paramedics enter the tiny basement room. Some of them rush over to Harry, while the others tend to Jeff, who’s still alive but unconscious.

Niall has to practically pull Louis away from Harry so that they can work on stabilizing him. “Lou, c’mon, let them do their thing.”

“Niall, if he doesn’t….” Louis’ voice trails off as he looks down at his hands, which are covered in Harry’s blood.

“Hey, look at me. Harry is going to be fine, ok?”

“I….I love him.”

“Oh Lou.” Louis feels Niall pull him in close for a hug and watches as the paramedics put Harry on a stretcher and take him from the room.


	11. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A decision is made that effects Louis, Harry and their relationship.

Chapter 11 - The Decision 

 

Six weeks.

It took six weeks for the decision to come down.

Six weeks of Harry expecting the worst - expecting to lose his mind, expecting to lose Louis.

The disciplinary committee had wanted to be thorough, they said. And thorough they were. They talked to Niall, they talked to Harry, they talked to Louis’ superiors, they even talked to his neighbor across the hall.

It had been six weeks without hearing from Louis directly. Niall had been giving Harry constant updates on Louis and the hearing.

Harry and Louis had agreed that since he was under investigation for their relationship, it would be better to have some time apart.

But that didn’t mean that Louis was far from his mind. He made sure he knew exactly what was happening with the case - Fisher had made it and was in jail, so was Lambert. Armstrong was still in a coma, but doctors had become a little more hopeful about his chances of waking up.

And he made sure Louis knew exactly how he felt. Niall had been his go-between, passing messages along to Louis about how much Harry missed him and how much Harry believed in him.

Now, six weeks later and it was all over and they could put it all behind them - one way or another.

Harry was the pacing the floor of his living room of his new apartment waiting for the phone call from Louis. He had put both of his New York City apartments up for sale and had bought a smaller, more private one on the Upper West Side.

Niall had texted him over 20 minutes ago telling him that the hearing was over and that Louis would be calling him to fill him in on the decision. Harry had begged Niall to tell him, but he was adamant that Louis should be the one to tell Harry.

Harry heard the doorbell ring and stopped pacing. It could only be his sister or Liam, no one else knew his new address. Well, except Saskia, his real estate agent who had found him the apartment in record time.

Harry walked over to the door and looked through the peephole before flinging the door wide open.

“Lou!” Harry threw his arms around Louis’ neck and Harry felt all of the stress that had built up over the last six weeks immediately leave him body. “Oh god Louis, why didn’t you call?”

Louis wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist and brought Harry closer to him. “I just….I had to see you.”

“I….” Harry started and then realized he had no idea what to say. There was so much to say, so much, but suddenly the words wouldn’t come.

“It’s over, Harry. The committee found in my favor. I can go back to work. We can be together.” Louis paused. “I mean, if that’s….if that’s still what you want.”

Harry leaned down and placed his lips on Louis’ and that was all that needed to be said between them. Harry pulled him inside and Louis reached behind him and slammed the door shut.

Louis started licking Harry’s lips, seeking entrance into his mouth, which Harry very happily and very greedily gave him. Louis deepened their kiss as Harry slide his hands under Louis’ shirt, running his fingers over Louis’ chest, causing Louis to moan.

Louis brought his hands up to Harry’s face, cupping it and rubbing his thumbs over Harry’s cheeks. He pulled back, breaking their kiss and looking up at Harry. Harry opened his eyes, searching Louis’ and saw that tears had welled up in his eyes.

“Lou? Baby what’s wrong?”

“I just...I missed you so much.”

“Oh baby, I missed you too. So, so much it was driving me crazy. And I probably drove Niall and Liam crazy as well.”

Louis smiled. “Yea, we owe them big time.”

“You sure you’re ok?”

Louis gave him a small nod, then softly said. “Harry? I need….make love to me.”

Harry felt the tears in his own eyes begin to form. Not once had he and Louis ever made love. Sure they’ve had sex, slept together, fucked. But never made love.

“Lou…”

“Please Harry. I….”

Harry blinked and the tears started falling down his cheeks, landing on Louis’ fingers. “Baby….” Not finding the right words to convey his emotions, Harry took Louis’ hand and lead him to the bedroom, gently closing the door behind them.

They stood, facing each other and then slowly Harry reached out and grabbed the hem of Louis’ shirt, pulling it up of his head and tossing it to the floor. Louis did the same to Harry’s shirt and then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, guiding them down his legs. Harry stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.

Louis took in the sight of Harry. “God, you are unbelievably beautiful.” He whispered as he brought his hands up to Harry’s chest, running his fingertips over the tattoos on his chest and stomach. He lowered his hands and gently caressed Harry’s dick which was getting harder by the minute. Harry’s breath hitched as Louis ran his thumb over the tip, spreading the pre-come around.

Harry reached for the waistband of Louis’ pants, pulling him closer as Louis kicked off his shoes. He slid Louis’ pants down, letting them pool at Louis’ feet as he crashed their lips together. Louis tightened his grip on Harry’s dick as Harry walked them backwards towards the bed.

He laid Louis down on the bed and climbed next to him. They looked at each other for a moment before Harry leaned over, kissing Louis who had grabbed onto Harry’s forearms. Harry moaned into Louis’ mouth and ran his hand over Louis’ cheek, caressing it gently.

Harry wanted to remember this night forever, wanted it to last, wanted to be inside Louis, wanted to convey everything he was feeling to Louis.

He pulled back. “I….Louis….I love you.”

“Harry, don’t. Don’t say that.” Louis said, turning his head to the side.

Harry climbed on top of Louis, straddling his lap. “Look at me.” Louis turned, finding Harry’s eyes. “It’s true. I love you and I should have told you sooner. God knows I wanted to, so many times. But I chickened out each time. I’m not scared anymore Louis. And I do. God I do. I love you so much.” He began placing kisses on Louis’ cheeks, eyelids, nose, forehead, mouth, whispering “I love you” after each one.

He moved his lips down to Louis’ chest and stomach, continuing to whisper “I love you.” Louis began sobbing, overwhelmed, desperate for Harry.

Harry took Louis into his mouth and Louis yelled out. “Fuck!” He reached out and grabbed for the headboard as Harry began bobbing up and down on his dick. “Harry, fuck”

He stopped. “Let me hear you, baby.” He grabbed Louis’ hips, holding him in place as he took Louis into his mouth again.

“Right there, oh god, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.” Louis moaned, getting louder and louder, not caring if the neighbors heard him. He didn’t hear Harry rummage around in the nightstand drawer, but felt Harry bring a finger to his entrance, circling it.

Harry slowly slipped the tip of his finger inside Louis, making him writhe underneath him. He gently guided it deeper inside, stopping and twisting it.

Louis began panting. “Fuck…..oh god….oh god…”

Harry pulled his finger out almost all of the way before inserting a second one alongside the first. He began thrusting them in and out of Louis, fingerfucking him, bobbing up and down on his dick.

Harry could feel Louis getting close, his body tensing. Harry slowly added a third finger then scissored them, crooking them and finding Louis’ prostate.

“Harry….baby...I’m gonna, oh god, I’m gonna come.” Louis thrust his hips up, causing his dick to reach the back of Harry’s throat.

That’s all it took for him to fall over the edge, coming into Harry’s mouth with a loud moan. His entire body relaxed as Harry pulled off with a pop, then gently eased his fingers out of Louis.

Louis looked down at Harry, who was climbing up Louis’ body with a condom in between his teeth. Louis took the condom and tossed it to the floor.

“Lou?”

“I want to feel you. All of you.”

“But -”

“We’re both clean. I mean, I am anyway, I got tested right after we first got together.”

“I am too, the hospital tested me before surgery. I’ve never -”

Louis sat up and flipped them over so that he was on top of Harry. “Me either, but I want to. With you. I...I love you.”

“Lou…”

“I do, I love you. I’ve loved you since before we even slept together the very first time. I told you while you were sleeping, which is the coward’s way. But I do. I love you. And I’m going to love you for as long as you’ll let me.”

Harry leaned forward and brought his lips to Louis’. “Love me forever then.”

Louis reached over, grabbing the bottle of lube and drizzling some over Harry’s dick. He tossed it aside as he lined himself up and began sinking down.

“Louis. Fuck, go slow or this is not gonna last very long. Oh fuck, you feel amazing.”

Louis adjusted and paused, then slowly sank down onto Harry until their bodies were flush with one another’s, Louis placing his hands on either side of Harry’s head. Harry grabbed onto Louis’ hips, holding him tightly.

“Fuck.” He said, taking a few deep breaths to stop himself from coming too quickly.

Louis paused and waited for Harry. They looked at each other and Louis could see the tears in the corners of Harry’s eyes.

“Harry?”

“I’ve just….I’ve never felt this way before.”

“Me either.” He said as he kissed Harry’s cheeks, moving his hips slowly.

Harry began guiding Louis’ hips and gently their bodies began moving in sync with each other’s. “Tell me again.” Louis whispered as he wiped Harry’s tears away.

“I love you. I love you.” Harry brought their lips together and immediately licked into Louis’ mouth. Louis felt his dick getting hard again and reached down to grab it before Harry swatted his hand away.

Harry then thrust his hips up, causing his dick to brush against Louis’ prostate. “Fuck!” he called out, breaking their kiss. “Right there, but slower, I don’t want this to end.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Harry whispered as he brought one hand up to Louis’ face. “Ever.”

They both got quiet, their bodies doing all the talking. Harry could feel himself getting close and flipped them so that he was on top. Louis wrapped his legs around Harry’s waist and grabbed onto Harry’s shoulders. “Are you ok? With the surgery?”

Harry dipped his head and caught Louis’ lips. “I’m perfect.” Slowly, gently, deliberately he began thrusting his hips. Louis closed his eyes and started to throw his head back before Harry said. “Look at me.”

Louis opened his eyes and caught Harry’s. “That’s it, I wanna watch you.”

They stayed like that as Louis felt himself getting close. “Harry, baby, I’m gonna, oh fuck. Harry.”

“That’s it, come for me. You feel so amazing. I love being inside of you, there’s no place else I’d rather be. You’re it for me. You’re the one. The only one.”

Harry’s words were all Louis needed to send him over the edge, coming in between them. Harry felt Louis clench around him and came inside Louis a few moments later.

Harry slowly pulled out of Louis, who whined at the loss. Harry placed kisses all along Louis’ jaw, “I’ll be right back.”

He got off the bed and headed to the bathroom, getting a drink of water and washing himself off. He brought a drink and towel back for Louis and cleaned him off while he drank. He threw the towel on the floor amongst their shoes and clothes and climbed into bed next to Louis, pulling him close and resting his head on Louis’ chest.

“Lou?”

“Hmmm?” He said as he began rubbing Harry’s back.

“That first night that we slept together? I heard you, you know? When you said you had fallen for me. I thought I was dreaming, but I wasn’t was I?”

Louis kissed Harry’s forehead. “No, you weren’t.”

“Good, because if I was I would never have wanted to wake up.”


	12. The Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party is planned.

Chapter 12 - Epilogue 

 

4 years later….

Yellow.

Everything was yellow.

Everywhere he looked Louis saw yellow.

Louis had never seen so many different shades of yellow, all in one place, all at one time, in his entire 34 years of being alive. He never even knew that so many shades of yellow actually existed.

Wasn’t yellow yellow?

But he had been proven wrong and was now aware that there were over a dozen shades of yellow. He even knew the names of all the different shades.

The small cake in the middle of the dining room table and the surrounding cupcakes were all decorated with goldenrod icing. The paper plates, napkins and cups were all dandelion. The dozens and dozens of balloons that adorned the yard and inside the house were canary. The streamers lining the fence in the backyard and the table in front of him were lemon. Even the gift bags containing the party favors were yellow - a shade called maize.

Louis took a final look around the yard before the party started and all the guests arrived and then turned to Harry who was busy rearranging the bowl of yellow candy on the table for the 28th time.

“Umm Harry don’t you think…” Louis started and then paused when he saw the look on Harry’s face. Louis knew what that look meant and knew that if the next words out of his mouth weren’t positive then Harry would be having the mother of all meltdowns.

This day was extremely important to both Louis and Harry, but Harry had done the majority of the planning and had worked so hard to make sure that everything was just right. Louis had once suggested that they hire a party planner and that was the first time Harry had had one of his now-infamous meltdowns.

“Don’t you think I can do it?” Harry had cried.

“Of course baby, of course I do.” Louis had reassured him, rubbing his back as he sobbed. “I was just thinking that you have a lot on your plate right now with the album about to be released. And all the tour prepping that you’re in the middle of. Plus all the stuff we have going on at home. I just don’t want you to get too overwhelmed and stressed and make yourself sick.”

Harry had calmed down after that and had told Louis that he could do it with such confidence in his voice that Louis no longer had any doubts.

And Harry had done it. The big day was here and everything looked…..yellow. Perfect but yellow. Plus he had released his second album which had gone straight to number one thanks to the amazing fans who had stuck with him.

Louis had been so proud of Harry, who had been a nervous wreck the night before the album was released, thinking that his fans had abandoned him during the trials of Jeff Fisher and Vincent Lambert, when it was finally public knowledge that he and Louis had gotten together. He was afraid of the backlash after testifying that he had had sex with the lead detective who had been investigating the case where he was the prime suspect.

They had laid in bed together and Louis had held Harry while he freaked out, claiming that no one was going to listen to it, that no one cared about him anymore and that no one would buy tickets to see him in concert.

But the next morning, Harry was pleasantly surprised with the news that the album was number one and had cried over his morning coffee about how the fans had actually stuck with him through the past four years. Through trials and sentencings and delays from his label, the fans had been there and so Harry logged onto this twitter account and had tweeted out his thanks, his name trending in minutes. The majority of the comments were positive, congratulating him on his album, saying they couldn’t wait for his concerts, wishing him and Louis the best.

It had been a long four years, but they had made it - together and this day was finally here.

“Do you think…” Louis cleared his throat. “Do you think I should get the baby up and dressed before everyone gets here?”

Harry gave his husband a sigh of relief. “I thought you were gonna say that you thought it was too much yellow.”

Louis took the bowl of candy from Harry and put it on the table. He took Harry’s hands and kissed the knuckles of the right one first and then the left one. He then bought his lips up to Harry’s.

“Everything looks amazing and perfect and everyone is gonna have a great time.” Louis reassured him.

“I’m glad you think so. This is the first big party I’ve ever put together by myself and I was a little nervous that I had gone overboard.”

Louis gives him a sincere smile. “Babies only turn one once, right? So I think going overboard is ok, especially when it’s our baby.”

Harry cupped Louis’ face in his hands and kissed him. “God I love you so much.”

“Well that’s good since I love you.” Louis replied, putting his hands on Harry’s hips and gripping them tightly.

Harry smiled at Louis. “You are always so good to me. I’m not sure what I did to deserve you, Louis Tomlinson, but I plan on showing and telling you every day just how much you mean to me and to Stella. You are the best man, the best husband, the best father and the best friend I could have ever asked for. You came into my life when I was at rock bottom and you have helped me pick myself up and dust myself off. You are a good man and you make me want to be a better man.”

Harry, still holding Louis’ face in his hands, brings their lips together. Just as they’re about to deepen the kiss, they hear Stella’s cries come over the baby monitor that’s sitting on the table.

They both start laughing and Louis pulls back. “I’ll get her, you finish rearranging your candies.” He gives Harry one last kiss before heading for the stairs.

A few moments later and Louis enters the nursery, walking over to the crib, picking up their daughter and rubbing her back. “I’ve got you.”

He brings her over to the rocking chair that’s in the corner and sits down. He slowly begins rocking her and she places her head on his shoulder.

“Oh Stells.” He whispers as he kisses her forehead.

Louis and Harry had started the adoption process immediately after their wedding, although Louis was hesitant given their pasts. Louis, having been suspended and suicidal after the Scott Jefferson fiasco and then brought in front of the disciplinary committee yet again because of his relationship with Harry. Then Harry, being a suspect in Matt Armstrong’s stabbing and everything that came along with it.

Louis had laid in bed one night sobbing because he felt that it was his fault he and Harry wouldn’t be able to have a family. But Harry had held him and soothed him and told him that they should at least try, because they were just as deserving as anyone else and there were children who needed them.

So, Louis had agreed and Simone took one look at Louis and Harry during their first meeting and she knew immediately that they were the ones that she wanted to adopt and raise her baby.

She was 16, four months pregnant and alone. Pressured by her boyfriend to have sex and then abandoned by him when the pregnancy test came back positive, she knew all about being judged by one’s past actions and refused to do that to either Louis or Harry.

She didn’t care about their pasts, she simply cared about their presents and their futures. And the future they could give the baby that she was carrying. They had all cried when she announced that she had chosen them and then again when Stella was born. When Louis held Stella for the very first time, he was inconsolable and thanked Simone roughly 28 million times.

They had all agreed upon a semi-open adoption and so Louis and Harry were in contact with her from time-to-time, giving her updates, sending her pictures and inviting her to Stella’s birthday party.

Louis leaned his head back against the rocking chair as Stella grabbed onto the front of his shit.

“What did I ever do to deserve you or your daddy? Hmm? I was such a mess before I met him, I never thought that I would find love. Never imagined I could be this happy. But look at us. We made it, didn’t we?”

“We did.”

Louis turns to find Harry standing in the doorway, snapping a picture of him and Stella with his phone.

“C’mere.”

Harry puts the phone in his back pocket, walks over and takes the hand that Louis is holding out. Harry kisses it and then leans down and kisses the top of Stella’s head before kissing Louis on the lips.

“And to answer your question,” Harry starts, “you were you. That’s what you did. Do you remember our wedding night?”

Louis laughs. “You’d kick my ass if I ever forgot our wedding day.”

“Not our actual wedding. That night.”

Louis looks up at Harry and can feel the tears forming in his eyes already. “Har….” his voice trails off as the emotions become too much.

Harry squeezes Louis’ hand. “What did I tell you?”

Louis remembers his and Harry’s wedding day like it was yesterday, when it was actually 3 years ago.

They had planned a romantic weekend getaway to a beautiful seaside town in Rhode Island for their first anniversary.

They had had dinner at the most wonderful oceanfront restaurant and then decided to take a walk on the beach. They got a little way down the coast when Louis stopped and Harry turned to make sure that everything was ok.

Louis looked up at Harry and dropped to one knee. Harry began crying and then dropped to his knee as well.

A double proposal. There was a lot of crying and declarations of love. There was some laughing and then a couple walking by stopped to congratulate them and offered to take their picture.

“Let’s do it now, Lou. Let’s just get married, what are we waiting for?” Harry had said after the couple walked away.

Louis laughed. “It’s almost midnight and we’re in Rhode Island, not Las Vegas. I seriously doubt there’s a 24 hour chapel in this town, they don’t even have a Starbucks.”

“Tomorrow then. Marry me tomorrow.” Harry wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist and pulled him close.

“I’d marry you any day and twice on Sunday.”

And so they did. The very next day, with the help of the bed and breakfast owners and city hall workers and some phone calls to Liam (who was not very happy about missing his chance to be Harry’s best man), Louis and Harry got married.

That night they had gotten back to their room and found that the owners had decorated it and had gotten them a small cake and a bottle of champagne.

After pouring the champagne, Louis proposed a toast. He told Harry how much the past four years had meant to him and how much he looked forward to their forever.

Then it was Harry’s turn. He took a deep breath.

“When I first met you, it was during a really dark time in my life and I was at my lowest point. I never thought I would be happy again, never thought I would love someone again, never thought someone would love me again. But then….then you walked into that depressingly gray room and brightened it and my life. I know that you tell people I saved your life that night in the basement, but Lou….you saved my life. You did. You are the love of my life. You are my salvation.” He kissed Louis. “When we first met and I looked into your eyes I saw pain. I saw grief. I saw loneliness. But now when I look into your eyes, I see love. I see happiness. I see forever.” He put his glass down and took Louis’ - downing the rest and putting it onto the table as well. “And now I would love for my husband to make love to me.”

“Harry…I...I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, just….just make love to me.”

Harry brought his hands up to Louis’ face and caressed his cheeks. “I need you. Only you. Forever you.”

Louis held onto Harry’s waist as he brought his lips up to meet Harry’s. “Say it again,” Louis whispered.

Harry began kissing Louis’ face, along his jawline and up to his ear. “I want my husband to make love to me” he whispered. “Make love to me all night, I want to feel you inside of me.”

Louis tugged Harry’s shirt off, tossing it behind him and ran his fingers along the waistband of Harry’s pants. “Baby, I am gonna make you feel so good.” He slid his right hand inside Harry’s pant and gripped his dick.

“Fuck, Lou.” Harry threw his head back as Louis unzipped his pants and pulled them down, stroking his dick lightly. Louis lunged forward and bit at Harry’s neck, pushing him backward towards the bed.

All of a sudden, Louis spun Harry around and pushed him onto the bed, face first. He ran his hands up the back of Harry’s legs until he reached his ass.

He used both of his palms to spread Harry’s ass and began licking from his balls to his hole. He felt Harry squirm underneath him and make a high-pitched sound. He licked teasingly around Harry’s entrance.

“Lou…” Harry moaned out. “Please….”

Louis pushed his tongue inside and Harry reached out and grabbed the comforter, the sheets, the mattress - anything he could get his hands on in an attempt to ground himself. He pushed back against Louis, feeling Louis’ tongue slide deeper inside.

“Oh god, Louis…”

Harry began making the sweetest sounds and Louis felt his dick throbbing against his zipper, but this wasn’t about him - this was about Harry and making him feel good. Louis spread Harry’s ass a little bit more and pushed in further, fucking into him.

“Fuck!”

Louis pulled back and quickly dug through the bag on the floor. He found the lube and covered two fingers liberally before rubbing them between his cheeks and circling around his hole.

He leaned over and placed kisses and licks along Harry’s spine as he gently pressed it inside of Harry.

“Oh god baby….”

“That’s it. Let me hear you. Wanna hear how good you feel.”

“Oh god, feels so good.” Harry moaned as Louis pushed his finger all the way in. Louis kissed down Harry’s ass and licked around where his finger was buried inside of Harry.

Harry’s moans increased in both frequency and volume as he began squirming, attempting to find friction on the mattress.

Louis pulled his finger out and added a second, thrusting them both deep inside and watching them disappear. “Fuck, baby, look at how good you’re doing.” He praised Harry, fingerfucking him deeper and harder.

“Lou...Louis. I need...baby I need to come.” Harry panted.

Louis grazed Harry’s prostate and felt him push back against Louis’ hand. He twisted and scissored his fingers, deliberately rubbing against his prostate, driving Harry insane.

“Please Lou….please, please, please.” Harry begged, pleaded.

Louis pulled his fingers completely out, immediately plunging them back in and hitting Harry’s spot directly. He yelled, screamed, moaned Louis’ name as his body spasmed. Louis felt Harry clenching around him and forced his tongue alongside his two fingers.

Louis moaned, sending vibrations inside of Harry, whose body had gone rigid and whose voice had gone silent. Louis pulled his tongue and fingers gently out of Harry and turned him over, kissing up his legs and licking come off of his stomach.

Harry opened his legs wide and Louis knelt in between them. “You ok baby?”

Harry had thrown an arm over his face and was trying to catch his breath. He moved his arm and looked up at Louis. “Do you have any idea how amazing you make me feel?”

Louis smiled and leaned over. “As amazing as you make me feel.”

He had grabbed the lube and was coating his dick generously. He lined himself up with Harry’s entrance and slowly slid the tip of his dick inside.

“Fuck! Louis!” Harry arched his back as Louis inched his way deeper into Harry.

Once Louis had bottomed out and their bodies were flush with each other, Harry wrapped his legs around Louis’ waist and grabbed onto the headboard.

Louis began thrusting in and out of Harry, moaning every time he pushed all the way inside. Harry was covered in sweat and come, his hair was a tangled mess and his neck was covered in bruises, but Louis had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

“Look at me.” Harry whispered.

Harry’s eyes met Louis’ and they stayed like that as Louis felt himself inching closer to the edge.

“You are so beautiful, my wonderful husband.” Harry began sobbing. “You are amazing and I am going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know how much I love you. Fuck! Right there, right there, don’t stop…..”

Louis picked up his pace as Harry’s grip on his forearms tightened. He reached in between them and grabbed a hold of Harry’s dick, jerking him gently.

“Louis!”

He leaned over and kissed Harry’s cheek. “I love you. I love you my amazing husband.”

Louis’ words sent them both tumbling over the edge and they came at the same time - Harry all over their stomachs and Louis inside of Harry. He collapsed on top of Harry as they both attempted to catch their breath.

Harry began rubbing Louis back. “I love you. Thank you.”

“For what?” Louis asked, pulling gently out of Harry and shifting his weight, laying half on Harry, half on the bed.

“For saving me. In more way than one, in ways that I didn’t even know I needed saving.”

“Our wedding night was one of the most amazing nights of my life.” Louis wipes away a few tears that have fallen.

“I meant every word Louis. You saved me and I love you more and more every single day - if that’s even possible.”

“Would you do anything for me?” Louis asks.

“What kind of a question is that? Of course I would. I would do anything for you. And Stella.”

“Then next year, can we hire a party planner?” Louis smiles.

“You asshole. You told me you loved the yellow.”

“It’s a bit….much. But you did a wonderful job and Stella is gonna have a great time and we’ll take lots of pictures and tell her about it when she’s older.” Louis promises.

“Fine, we can hire a party planner next year. But for the record, I’m choosing the theme.”

Louis rolls his eyes, knowing his husband is stubborn and will win anyway. And so Louis gives in. “Ok, but maybe you could choose something else besides one color? It’s a little overwhelming.”

Harry looks at Louis and then his face lights up. “I’ve got it, instead of one color, how about all the colors? A rainbow. Oh my gosh, it will be so perfect. Rainbow hats and rainbow plates and rainbow balloons and -”

“Harry?” Louis interrupts. “I love you, I do, with all of my heart. But can we get through today’s party first? You can start planning her second birthday tomorrow.”

Louis stands up, with Stella still in his left arm, and he wraps his right arm around Harry.

The three of them stand in the middle of the nursery together for what seems like forever, yet doesn’t seem quite long enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Dear, wonderful, amazing, incredible Reader,
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this fic. I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Melissa  
> hadtobelou on tumblr


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